


The Cat's Meow

by GlamourHobo



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28929192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlamourHobo/pseuds/GlamourHobo
Summary: Kagome is down on her luck and in need of money.  So she takes a job doing...cat-walking? Going into the job with no idea what your in for can be pretty dangerous. Where ccould the job lead? And who will she meet through an evil cat born from the pits of hell itself?(This story was originally published on FF.net in 2008 - In the slow process of transferring all my stories over)
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Sesshoumaru, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. The Cat's Meow

It was late afternoon and the sun was starting to set. Someone was breaking into a shrine. They masterfully opened the side window and slipped in as if they had done it a million times before. Slowly she crept to her destination. It was just in reach. She took hold of the handle. Then she pulled it open.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Souta asked. Kagome jumped from being startled and dropped the leftovers she had been trying to sneak out of the fridge. She looked forlornly at the food now splattered on the ground and turned to her brother.

"I was hungry…" Kagome muttered as she went over to the counter to grab some paper towels to clean up the mess she had made. Her brother snorted and walked around her as he took a soda out of the fridge.

"You can't keep sneaking in her. Mom will catch you at some point. Wasn't the whole point of getting your own apartment so you could rely on your own independence?" Souta asked. Kagome lifted her head from her crouched position to glare at her brother.

"Yes. However, right now I don't have enough time to pay for the apartment and pay for food," Kagome answered while throwing away the paper towels. Souta walked over to the kitchen table and picked up the newspaper from it.

"If money is such a problem, then why not get a job?" Souta asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Kagome grabbed a banana from the fridge and went to go sit at the kitchen table. She took a few bites of the delectable fruit, before turning her attention back to her brother.

She sighed, brushing a hand through her ebony hair. If only it were that easy. She was twenty-one years old and currently in junior college. She wasn't even sure she had enough time to get a job. The job would have to have exceptional hours and a good pay. Otherwise she was not going to waste her time doing it.

Souta seemed to be debating something in his head. Giving a sigh of his own, he opened the newspaper to a certain page. With one flick he sent the paper over towards Kagome. The older girl looked over at him and then back down at the paper.

"I was planning on getting a job myself, but obviously you need one much more than I do. The one circled is the job I was thinking of getting. It's easy and I heard that you can even get tips," Souta said.

Kagome picked up the paper and looked over it. She spotted the circled job and her eyes widened. She blinked gazed up at her brother, gave a face of "WTF?" Then she gazed back down. Thus the process went on for a minute or two.

"Cat-walking? I wouldn't think there was such a thing. I know about dog-walking, but Cat-walking? Do Cats even walk? Er...I mean…GAH! You know what I meant!" Kagome said as blush went on her cheeks from embarrassment.

Souta laughed at his sister's comment. Now he had the privilege to hold this over his sister's head to the right moment. However, now he was actually willing to help his older sister. He fished a piece of note-book paper out his pocket and handed it to his sister.

"I know it sounds kind of weird, but I looked into it. I called the lady he runs it. She explained it's sort of like cat-walking and cat-sitting job. She told me that she even gets some prominent customers sometimes, where the tips come in. That paper has all the information you need for an interview. Where to go and stuff," Souta explained.

Kagome stared at the crumpled piece of paper. She figured it was worth a shot. Plus it sounded really really easy. Cats really didn't do anything. She thought about Buyo, who was right here at her mother's house. He barely did anything. This would be a piece of cake.

'Thanks Souta, this really is helpful of you," Kagome said smiling as she stuffed the note-book paper with information into her pocket. Souta nodded his head. Suddenly he was crushed into a hug by the older girl.

"Okay! OKAY! Let go of me. You're welcome. Now leave before mom catches you here…" Souta said as he pushed off his sister. Kagome smiled and giggled to herself as she made her way out the back door.

………………….

_The Next Day…_

Kagome headed out of her apartment around 11 o'clock in the morning. She didn't have classes today, so she thought she should get an interview at the cat-walking place. She sniffled her nose as she crossed the street.

Conveniently, the main office of the business was only a few blocks away from the apartment complex. This made it to where Kagome didn't have to use the sub-way, which would help her save money for food. Glorious food…

Kagome licked her lips subconsciously. She was so hungry. She really hoped she got this job. Then again, she didn't think being a cat-walker took that much effort. Her feet started pounding harder on the side-walk.

Soon enough, she found herself outside the cat-walking place. In big bubbly pink letters were the words "The Cat's Meow", and beside that was a picture of a little smiling kitty. Kagome thought it was kind of cute. It was fairly small building all and all. Kagome headed on inside.

Her nose scrunched up upon entering. It sure smelt like a cat if anything else. Kagome continued in and took in her surroundings. There actually appeared to be a few cats playing around inside. There were plastic chairs lined against the walls, one was currently occupied. In the very far back corner was what looked to be a receptionist's desk.

Kagome made her way to the back desk. She avoided stepping on any cats as she made her trek there. Kagome finally stopped in front of the desk and looked up to meet the not so cheery receptionist. The receptionist was currently chewing on a piece of gum and playing around with her short black hair. Her name tag read "Yura" in the same bubbly type letters that were on the front sign.

"Um…Hello?" Kagome tried. The other girl looked over and glared at her. The smacking of her gum grew louder. She swiftly crossed her hands over her t-shirt, which had a large red skull on it. Turning her head she spit the gum out and into the trash can.

"What do you want?" Yura barked. Kagome's eyes narrowed, but she did not retaliate. It would do her no good to get mad at this girl. Then there might be the chance she wouldn't get this job. She took a deep breath.

"I would like to get an interview for a job," Kagome said putting on a fake smile. Yura blinked and then went to the side and started shuffling through some papers. She picked some of the papers out and slammed on the desk.

"Here are the papers you need to fill. Go over and sit by that other guy till we call you when we're ready," Yura said in an irritated tone. Then she shooed Kagome away and took out another piece of gum to chew on.

Kagome took up the papers and headed to one of the empty chairs by the wall. She sat next to the other person in the room and started looking over the papers. The papers asked simple questions and some personality ones.

Kagome tried her best to focus on the questions, but the person beside her was very distracting. He had spikyish black hair and deep brown eyes. He was pretty handsome, but that wasn't the distracting part. The distracting thing was that he was scratching himself uncontrollably.

Sometimes he would stop and look calm, but then his face would twitch and the scratching would begin again. He mostly tried scratching through his clothes. At times he would even pull at his shirt, but then release it and twiddle his fingers. Kagome noticed he wasn't wearing shoes.

"Are you allergic to cats?" Kagome finally asked out of curiosity. This was going to bother her all day if she didn't find this out soon. The poor guy looked like he was suffering. She really just wanted to know.

"Itchy…" he mumbled under his breath, before he turned his head to look at Kagome, "No actually, I'm a practicing nudist. I'm not used to wearing clothes for long periods of time. It's so itchy…"

Kagome blinked. Normally she would've taken that comment as a sarcastic joke, but the scary thing about this guy was that he seemed serious. Especially when he looked like he couldn't take it anymore and he ripped his shirt off. Then he went to work on his pants. Yura called for next in line. Kagome bolted.

"Me! That's me! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD THAT'S ME!" Kagome screamed as she ran passed Yura and into the back room. Yura quirked a brow at the strange actions and turned back to the room. Her eyes widened in horror.

All Kagome heard was a scream as the door behind her closed. She didn't feel like looking back to find out what made the other girl scream. She had a pretty good idea as to what made the other girl scream.

Kagome faced forward and her eyes fell to the kindly looking old woman sitting at the desk. She smiled up at Kagome and gestured to the seat in front of her. Kagome smiled back for real this time and went over to sit down.

Once she was situated in the seat, Kagome handed over the forms she had filled out in the lobby-like room. The old woman took them and began looking them over. The room was mostly quiet, except for the occasional yowl of the cats in the other room.

Kagome tried to entertain herself while she waited for woman to finish looking over the resume type thing. She took note of the little name plaque on the table. It had nice neat letters printed on it that read "Ms. Kaede". Kagome tapped her feet on the ground. Finally the older woman looked up and smiled again at Kagome.

"Do you have any experience with working with cats?" Kaede asked sweetly. Kagome took some time to think about it. She technically had no experience with "walking" cats, but she did have experience with cats.

"Yes. I have a cat that used to be mine at my mother's house. He's a chubby little fellow, but he's sweet," Kagome said. Kaede bobbed her and continued shuffling the papers on her desk. Kagome continued to tap her feet.

"What is your reasoning for wanting this job? It says on your paper that you would like to make a bit more money on the side. What will you be using the money for, if you don't mind me asking?" Kaede asked.

"Actually, I'm using the extra to pay for food. Since I don't have enough o pay for my apartment and pay for food," Kagome said honestly. Kaede was taken aback. The poor girl didn't have enough money for food?

Kaede opened a drawer beside her. She dipped her hand into it and pulled a huge folder from it. She flopped it onto the desk. The folder looked gigantic and some various papers were sticking out of it. Kagome's eyes widened. Apparently, it was for the file of only one cat.

"I've already decided you get the job. However, I don't normally give new-comers this sort of job that I am about to give you. Yet, with your current money issues I am willing to make an exception," Kaede said as she flipped the folder open.

"What do you mean by 'this kind of job'?" Kagome asked as she eyed the file closely. The thing was filled with various colored sticky notes, scribbled side notes in a multi-colored variety of pens, and occasional highlighted items.

Kaede sighed as she flicked her fingers through the file looking for something. She must have spotted what she needed, because she picked it out and set it to the side. She then went to the computer beside her and clicked around a bit on the key-board. The printer made the sound of starting up. Kaede turned back to Kagome.

"Well the owner of this client is very picky about certain things, but that's not the only thing with this client. Anyways, the reason I'm giving you this job is because it pays considerably well and the hours are good for a student in college like yourself," Kaede answered.

Kagome smiled. Good pay and good hours? This sounded too good to be true, which is probably because it was. The way Kaede had danced around the question about 'this kind of job' somewhat unnerved Kagome. She needed a bit more information.

"What do you mean by that's not the only thing?" Kagome asked. Kaede looked somewhat uncomfortable. Then she watched as the older woman seemed to contemplate what to say. Kaede brought her hands and folded them on the desk.

"Well, that's not important now. You'll find out when you get there. Now as I was saying. The job pays very well. In fact, the jobs pats 500,000 yen a week," Kaede said as she once again avoided the question. This time however, she was able to detract Kagome onto the other part of the conversation.

"500,000 yen a week? That's amazing! This does sound like a great job. Alright, I'll take it," Kagome said happily. She then went off to her own little world, where she dreamt about all the things she could buy with that kind of money. The best part was that all she had to do was watch a cat.

"Excellent! Here's a picture of your client. Her name is Princess!" Kaede said as she broke Kagome out of her stupor. The older woman picked up the thing on her desk that she had been digging in the file earlier for. It was a picture of a cat.

The cat had large yellow eyes that looked as if they were staring back at Kagome. The black and white cat was lazily lying in a pillow in the picture. Her head was tilted to side and her tiny pink tongue stuck out as she yawned. Her tail was flicked to the side in the picture and showed its little white tip on the end.

"Awwww… She's so cute," Kagome said.

"From a distance…" Kaede muttered under her breath as she fished the papers that had printed out. Kagome lifted her head and looked over at the older woman by the printer. She set the picture down.

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you…" Kagome said. Kaede tensed and looked back. Then she smiled and stood up straight before heading over to the desk. She handed the papers from the printer to Kagome.

"I said this is the information you'll need. It's all printed out there. There's the clients address, her owner's home and cell phone number, and a list of instructions and needs of the cat," Kaede said. Kagome just nodded and smiled as she read over the paper.

"Taisho, Sesshomaru…" Kagome said to herself as she read the owners name aloud. Why did that guy's last name sound so familiar? Kagome sighed. She wouldn't dwell over it for too long. It wasn't really that important.

"You start at 2:30 pm on Monday," Kaede said. Kagome nodded again and stood up from her chair. Her job started at the beginning of this week. She was so excited. This would be a piece of cake. Or so she thought…


	2. Monday

_Monday…  
_  
The bell rang and Kagome filtered out of her college classroom along with the rest of the student body. She moved to the side of the door and checked her watch. It was currently 1 o'clock and she had an hour and a half to get to her new job.

She took off to the subway station. She had checked the directions on-line of where the house was. It was way further than she had expected. Which meant the subway was her only option.

Kagome now stood in front an automated ticket machine. Then somewhat reluctantly, she pushed the last of her yen into the coin slot and selected her round-trip ticket. She grabbed her blue subway pass and walked to the ticket gate.

Standing on the side of the subway rail, Kagome counted the only amount of money she now had left. The subway train pulled up and in a Zombie-like state Kagome boarded it. She had counted only 420 yen. That's all she had left. That was all the money she had to her name.

"This job better be worth it…" Kagome sighed as she sat down and leaned her head against the glass of the window. She had a few more stops to go, before she got to the destination she needed to be.

A few minutes later her stop finally came. She stood up and walked out of the subway car. She made her way through the throngs of people and found her way to the light once again. The subway was always pretty dark.

Taking note of the street signs, Kagome realized she still had a few more blocks to go. She checked her watch. The whole trip so far had taken her an hour. She had thirty minutes to get her job. She groaned and started running.

She made her way further and further down the different street ways until more buildings began to disappear. She ran faster as the time began to lessen. She was almost out of breath and noticed there were no buildings now. Had she missed the place?

All she saw was trees and more trees. Yet, she knew she hadn't seen the house yet. She was aware she was on the right street. Where was it? That's when off in the distance, she saw a gate. Getting excited, she gave her last burst of energy.

708 Woody Pines Drive, she had found it. However, now there was the problem of getting in. She found the gate and the address, but it seemed the house was still off into the distance. That is when she discovered the voice box. She clicked the button.

"Um…hello?" Kagome spoke into the white box beside the gate. There was a long pause of static, but soon she heard a shuffling noise. She could here someone breathing in for a moment before they spoke.  
"WHAT!?!?! Who are you?" the voice squawked on the other line. Kagome blinked. The guy sounded like a frog. She held in a giggle. Had she gotten the opposite in crazy cat lady and instead traded in for a crazy cat man?

"I'm Higurashi, Kagome. I'm here to take care of Princess," Kagome said sweetly, and tried to stifle her laughter. She heard a few grumbles on the other side and then the gates opened up. She walked in and shut the gate behind her.

She walked passed the trees. She finally came to where she could see the house. Correction, this place was not a house. It was a house big enough to fit another house inside of it. Kagome's eyes widened as she looked the place up and down.

"Ho-chi-mama." was all Kagome could say. She checked her watch. It was currently 2:26. She had four minutes. She ran up to the front door and knocked on it. She rapped harder when no-one answered. Suddenly the door swung open.

"Stop pounding on the door like a monkey banging on the drums," squawked the same familiar voice. Now Kagome had the chance to see the owner of the voice, she was surprised. This little old man was short and slightly hard to look at. He was bald and had a cane. Come to think of it his voice matched his body. He kind of looked like a frog.

"Are you Mr. Taisho?" Kagome asked. The little old man gawked at her for a moment. His face was contorted in a look of pride and horror at the same time. Kagome thought that was hard look to pull off. The older man stuttered for a moment.

"Um, No. I am just his head servant. My name is Jaken," the man said. Kagome blushed from embarrassment and nodded her head. Whoops. Oh well. She might as well start working at her actual job instead of embarrassing herself.

"So, where is that adorable little cat?" Kagome asked as she smiled at Jaken wearily. The old man blinked and then proceeded to guide her through the large house. He would occasionally look back to see if Kagome as close behind and then continue onward.

They finally reached a wooden door with the words 'Princess' printed in gold paint on it. Kagome snorted, to which Jaken turned his head to glare at her. Kagome couldn't help it. The cat's owner must really be in love the thing.

"Before I allow you in, I must know if you have received the guidelines given to you," asked Jaken. Kagome thought for a moment and took the time to dig the piece of paper out of her school bag. Smiling she thrust the crumpled piece of paper forward to show Jaken. He was unimpressed.

He said nothing and opened the door and beckoned her in. Kagome inched towards the door and watched as Jaken disappeared down the hallway. The only thing he left her with, were the words 'good luck'. For some reason that seemed like a bad omen.  
Kagome slowly made her way into the room and shut the door behind her. She blinked as the pink décor of the room assaulted her eyes. Not only was the whole room covered in pink, but it was covered in pictures of the cat.

The cat was put into several poses. Sitting proper, lying on her back, eating her food; whatever pose you could possibly think of. Each picture was framed as well. There also were some awards. Kagome went over to the trophy shelf and looked more closely at them.

Some were pedigree authentication, while others were pet show awards. They were all lined up in a row polished and shining. Kagome looked it over and tried not to laugh. Seriously, this was far too much. Why all this for one cat? Speaking of which, where was the cat.

Kagome turned around only to be faced with yellow eyes staring back at her. The little black and white cat stared up at her with its adorable big eyes. Its tail swished behind it. Kagome smiled at the little cat.

"Hello Princess," Kagome cooed as she approached the little cat. That is when little princess started hissing violently. Kagome backed up as the hairs on Princess's back starting rising. Her fangs were bared. This couldn't be good…

……………………………………

 _Meanwhile…  
_  
Swift fingers typed along the keyboard. Golden eyes stared at the computer screen in front of him. A sigh escaped his lips. Work was becoming severely monotonous. A hand reached over for the coffee mug beside him.

"Mr. Taisho, Sir. I need you to look over some of these documents," his secretary said as she pranced into the room. Sesshomaru just nodded to her and continued to work. She gave a cheery smile and placed the files on his desk. She lingered there a few moments. He gazed up to look up at her.

"What is it you need?" questioned Sesshomaru in an irritated tone. His secretary swayed back and forth for a moment as she bit her lip. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He hoped that this wasn't some attempt at wooing him. She was doing a terrible job.

"Well Sir, Jaken called," She said confidently. Sesshomaru blinked. Was that all? That old toad was always calling to bother him about something. Sesshomaru took the time to focus on his secretary again, showing that he wanted her to elaborate.

"He was complaining about the chef's again. Yet, today he also mentioned the arrival of your new cat-walker arriving," she said. Sesshomaru took in this new information and then waved his secretary off. She left somewhat reluctantly and looked back at the handsome man.

Sesshomaru thought more about what he was just told. Jaken was always complaining about how the other servants worked less than he did. He would have to deal with that another time. Then he focused on the problem at hand, the cat-walker.

He couldn't understand the strange phenomenon that was the cat-walker. He had somehow gone through so many, and most people didn't even know they existed. He pondered over the fact on how Kaede kept finding willing participants, because apparently his cat was cursed.

He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. His own loyal servants wouldn't even go near it, which is why he had to get someone on the side too. And then, once that person was hired they would only come the first day and never return. Actually, normally it was the first minutes before they ran out of there like a bat of hell.

"What is it about that damn cat?" he questioned aloud as he put a hand through his exotic silver hair. He would have to think about this later. Most likely after finding out he'd need yet another cat-walker. He turned to work a few last minute things before heading home.

A few minutes and a file save later, and Sesshomaru was up and ready to go. He grabbed his suit jacket that was lying on the chair and pulled it on. He grabbed his briefcase from by the side of his desk and left his office.

He signaled his departure to his secretary who waved him off as he left. He got into the elevator and looked at his watch. It was currently 3:07. He was leaving fairly earlier than he normally did, but he really didn't care.

Sesshomaru practically owned the franchise he was working for. Leaving early did not damage his career in anyway. Plus he actually just wanted to relax for just a bit and not think about work. Even people like him needed to chill at times.

The drive home was relatively quiet. He pushed the button in his car that opened the gate and then he pulled on through. Getting out of his car, he stretched his shoulders. Another sigh escaped his lips as he walked in through his front door.

Usually Jaken would greet upon entry, but the loyal servant was no-where to be found. Sesshomaru assumed that the old man was probably in the kitchen bickering at the cooks. That is when an earth shattering scream was heard from upstairs.

Golden eyes widened in surprise as Sesshomaru bolted up the stairs. Who on earth was screaming? And why? Sesshomaru stood at the top of his stairs, and looked around to see where the scream might have come from.

Suddenly as black and white blur sprinted past him. It took him a moment to realize that the blur was his cat. As he stared where his cat at run to, he was unprepared for the person pursuing his cat. Kagome swerved around the corner of the hallway only to crash right into Sesshomaru.

Both occupants were down for the count, flailing limbs and all. A grunt left Sesshomaru as he adjusted to the weight currently crushing his back. He craned his neck to see who had assaulted him to gaze upon a mass of black hair.

"Oh…" a feminine voice groaned as the mass of black hair shifted. Kagome sat up and began to rub her head. She felt like she had run into a brick wall. Her eyes fell to find golden eyes meeting hers. A gasp escaped her as she scrambled to stand up.

"I'm so sorry, Mr.…" Kagome said as she offered her hand to Sesshomaru. He eyed her hand a minute before placing his own in hers. She had a much smaller hand than he did. With a pull and a tug, Sesshomaru found himself on his feet again.

"Mr. Taisho," Sesshomaru said as he brushed himself off. He was slightly irritated that the girl didn't recognize him and that she had rammed into him like bull. Kagome's eyes widened in horror. She had just bulldozed her employer.

"I'm so so so sorry," Kagome apologized profusely. Sesshomaru didn't have time for this. He wanted to get to actually relaxing. Trying to hold down his growing headache, he realized he had no idea who this girl was.

"Who are you?" Sesshomaru snapped. Kagome looked startled and stepped back slightly. The piercing gaze Sesshomaru was giving her was somewhat unnerving. She held back whimper. This guy was a lot taller than her and far moreintimidating.

"I'm your cat-walker…" Kagome stuttered. Sesshomaru was taken aback. He had never actually had the privilege of meeting one of the cat-walkers. Most of them he had never met, because they were gone before he got back from work. However, that was not the issue now.

"If that is true…THAN GET MY CAT!" Sesshomaru snapped as he pointed to where he had seen Princess run to. Kagome let out a yelp and skittered away into the direction he pointed. Sesshomaru sighed as he put his face in his hands.

Taking time to think he realized he had thrown his briefcase down when he had heard the scream. Reluctantly Sesshomaru made his way downstairs to retrieve his briefcase. As he lifted his briefcase off from the floor, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

It was the girl that assaulted him earlier. She gave him a weak smile as she approached him. He noticed she had small scratches and welts on her hands and arms. Had his cat really been that vicious?  
"I apologize Mr. Taisho for messing up today. I promise that I'll do better tomorrow," Kagome said as she clasped her hands together. Sesshomaru was taken by surprise. She was coming tomorrow.

"Tomorrow?" Sesshomaru said aloud, still thinking about it.

"You're not firing me are you?" Kagome asked with a slight tone of panic. Sesshomaru eyed those pleading blue eyes for a moment. He was somewhat unsure what to say exactly.

"No, I'm not firing you…" He said simply. Kagome's face brightened and a smile came to her face. She wasn't going to lose her job. She unclasped her hands and did a miniature happy dance before walking over to Sesshomaru and shaking his hand.

"Thank-you. Thank-you! You have no idea how much I need this job!" Kagome said as she shook Sesshomaru's hand vigorously. Then she let go and walked out of the front door. Sesshomaru blinked as he watched the young woman maker her exit.

Kagome sighed as she left the gate. Today had not gone too well. She eyed her scratched hands and winced. As soon as she had caught sight of the cat it had gone berserk. She had opened the door to the room to try to escape the spastic feline.

That was when the demon cat had zoomed out the room with lightning speed. It was also when one of the rules hit Kagome. She wasn't supposed to let the cat out of her room. She had then sped after the cat only to run into the person employing her.

With all that happened, Tomorrow would be a long day…


	3. Tuesday

_Tuesday…_

Various students dragged their feet to the local coffee shop. It was currently 8 in the morning, and most people of a similar age were still sound asleep in bed. One of the students stood out a she continuously pulled at her sleeves to hide the scratches that blemished her skin.

"Evil satanic cat…" Kagome mumbled under her lips as she walked into the coffee shop. A sigh escaped her lips. She spotted her best friend on the other side of the room. With a tiny sprint, Kagome rushed over to the other girl.

The girl was wearing pinkish-red eye shadow and had a high ponytail. She was dressed casually and was sipping on her cappuccino contently. She caught sight of Kagome and waved her over. Kagome smiled and sat down next to her friend.

"Hey Sango," Kagome said tiredly. She yawned into her hand and then crossed her arms onto the table before resting her head on it. Sango smiled as she took another gulp and then set her drink down.

"So, how was your first day of work at your new job?" Sango asked excitedly. Kagome's eyes narrowed as memories from the day prior came to mind. A hiss escaped her lips the more she thought about it. Sango eyed her friend curiously.

"It was a complete and utter nightmare," Kagome answered truthfully. Sango almost choked on her own spit and started laughing out loud. Kagome felt insulted as she sat up with her mouth agape. Her friend was laughing at her expense?

"Come on, Kagome it couldn't have been that bad. I think you're over exaggerating," Sango said as she tried to stifle her laughter. Kagome's eye twitched as the horrors of yesterday came back to her again.

"Want to bet?" Kagome retorted as she pulled up her sleeves to reveal her scratched up arms. Sango gazed down at her friends arms alarmed. She took a hold of Kagome's wrist and brought her closer to her.

"Oh my god, Kagome! What on earth happened to you?" Sango asked in a very concerned tone. Kagome winced as Sango pulled harder on her arms. Whipping her hands back and putting on a stern face.

"It was the demonic cat from hell that happened!" Kagome screamed gaining some looks from the other occupants of the coffee shop. Sango tried to calm down her friend and that is when Kagome started speaking about the terrors of yesterday afternoon. What Kagome was unaware of was that a familiar figure sitting in the coffee shop had just taken an interest in the conversation.

"I know some cats can be mean Kagome, but a demonic cat from hell?" Sango questioned. Kagome pulled her sleeves down again, before she began to talk. She had a sour look on her face.

"No, you have no idea! This cat lunged for me at first sight. Luckily it could only reach my legs, but I'm sure if it could it would go for my heart! It chased me all around that stupid room of hers! She was hissing, spitting, and making the big of fuss!" Kagome said with wide eyes as she clutched her chest.

"She?" Sango asked now paying very close attention to her friend. She then took a sip of her almost forgotten coffee in anticipation. The other listener clutched his newspaper as he too continued to listen contently.

"Yes, it's a girl cat. Her name is Princess. Ha! The only thing royal about her is that she's a royal pain. But in all seriousness she just freaks the hell out of me. I mean if you could see the look in her eyes right before she goes in for the kill…" Kagome said biting on one of her nails.

Sango finally finished off her coffee and crumpled the paper cup. She couldn't believe what Kagome was telling her. This cat sounded like the devil's spawn. Yet, Kagome had told her she was still going to the job today. She was about to question Kagome why, when her friend started up again.

"I swear the only thing scarier than that cat is her owner," Kagome said as she looked over at Sango. The other listener lowered his paper after hearing this. He couldn't help himself; he had to hear what Kagome had to say.

"What's wrong about the owner?" Sango asked curiously. Her conversation with Kagome was starting to become more exciting than television. It was so surreal. It was so strange. It was so juicy.

"I mean it might be understandble that he was mad at me. I practically ran into him at the house, but he was just so scary. He was decked out in his professional suit, piercing gold eyes, and his stony face. When he yelled at me to go get his cat, he towered over me and it was so intimidating. Like Owner, Like Cat. I suppose…" Kagome said.

The other listener at this point was unsure what to do. So he simply got up and crinkled his paper before marching out of the coffee shop. Both girls were still left unaware of the other listener.

"Kagome, seriously if it is this bad than you don't have to do it," Sango said. Kagome shook her head and stood up. Sango followed suite and tossed her crumpled cup into the trash can. She followed the other girl out of the coffee shop.

"I really need the money though," Kagome said sighing Sango put her arm around Kagome and leaned her head on her shoulder. Kagome leaned her head on Sango's as they then did a group sigh together.

"You know you could always borrow money form me," Sango said. Kagome frowned and removed her head from Sango's. She crossed her arms and huffed. Sango rolled her eyes.

"And you know that I totally hate borrowing money from you. I have a strong sense of independence on my part. Plus, I'm not going to let some cat best me! I am going to make it through this week!" Kagome said confidently. A smirk on her face. Sango almost laughed again.

"YES! You shall get this week or die trying…from that evil satanic cat!" Sango said with a smile of her own. Kagome sent Sango a sinister look before beginning her way down the street. Sango laughed again and followed after her.

"Um, well since we're on the subject of money. I do need to borrow some money since I need to get to my job. Just some money to get on the subway. I promise I'll pay you back…" Kagome said sheepishly. Sango just shook her head and smiled.

"I have a better idea that will keep money in both of our pockets. I'll get my boyfriend to drive you there with his car," Sango said as they crossed the street. Kagome thought about it a moment.

"Well, if you include gas money that still means Miroku would be paying," Kagome said.

"I know…" Sango said with a smirk.

………………………………………

The top businessman currently sat at his desk completely distracted. His mind kept wandering back to this morning. The coffee on his desk was cold from just sitting there for hours. In his mind, he was terribly angry although it was somewhat his own fault.

He just hadn't expected to run into that girl from yesterday. Actually this time they hadn't rammed into each other. He had been quietly reading this morning's paper in the coffee shop. He had had an early business meeting and was in town.

Truthfully, he hadn't noticed her till she had shouted out. When he caught sight of her, he was caught off guard. The rest of the coffee shop had gone back to what they were doing afterwards, but he continued to listen. He had a keyword that had forced him to pay attention. That was the word cat.

Usually he was never a prying person, but something inside him begged to pay attention. As the conversation continued, he realized that the girl had been talking about his cat. The demonic cat was his. He should have stopped listening, but then she mentioned him.

As soon as she had let that out in the open he wanted to march over to her table and protest, but that would have been inappropriate. He wasn't supposed to have been listening to them in the first place. It was not something a respectable man like himself would have done.

He had decided just to leave instead. He thought avoiding confrontation would be the best choice. He was glad that she had not noticed him. He would not have known what to do if she had.

So now he sat here at his office desk, pondering about it. The only thing to break him out of his reverie was his secretary who walked into the room. She walked over and plopped some papers onto his desk. His golden eyes shifted over to them.

"Are you alright, sir? You seem kind of out of it," his secretary asked with concern in her voice. Sesshomaru eyed the files again before looking up at his secretary. He blinked. Then looked away at his computer screen.

"I suppose I am somewhat distracted today. However, I believe I've gotten over it. I shall look over the files and give them back to you when I'm finished," Sesshomaru said sternly. His secretary nodded her head and left the room.

"That infuriating girl…" Sesshomaru muttered under his breath. He wasn't referring to his secretary. He was referring to Kagome. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Yet, it wasn't just about the incident today.

It was about everything. Ever since the girl had crashed into him yesterday, she wouldn't leave his mind. He had to admit it was a very memorable first meeting. The surprising thing he noted was that she kept the job. She said she would come again today. That was when he noticed she was different. He wasn't quite sure what that meant to him, but he wanted to find out….

………………………………

The music on the car stereo blared loudly. Kagome sat beside Miroku in the passenger's seat. She was bobbing her head to the music. On the outside she seemed cool and relaxed, yet on the inside she was preparing for a deadly battle.

"Sango told me about your current situation when she called about the ride" Miroku said as he focused on the rode, "Are you entirely sure you want to go through with this?"

Kagome hadn't been paying attention fully, so it took her a moment to register exactly what Miroku had said. She turned her head from the car window to gaze at Miroku with a determined look on her face.

"Yes. I am better prepared today. There shall be no more surprise attacks," Kagome said as she clutched tighter to the item in her grasp. Today, she had brought a few select items to help her survive.

Miroku didn't reply to Kagome, but continued on driving. A few minutes later and they arrived at the house. Kagome collected her things and opened the car door. After she had stepped out and was about to shut the door, Miroku left her with a few parting words.

"Good luck!" he said smiling. Kagome slammed the car door. Miroku drove off laughing and watched in his rearview mirror as Kagome approached the main gate. Just as she had down yesterday, she clicked the voice box.

"Hello, it's me the cat-walker," Kagome said sweetly into the box. A crackly toad voice shouted back saying for her to come in. The gate creaked open and Kagome walked on through. Apparently, the main servant Jaken was in a sour mood.

When Kagome reached the front door, Jaken was already standing there with an disgruntled look on his face. Kagome had a bad feeling about this. Yet, Jaken was nice enough to let her into the house before he yelled at her.

"My employer elaborated me on the little mishap that happened yesterday. It is very important that you do not let Princess out of her room! We can't have a cat frolicking about the house! I swear to you if it happens again it shall be your job!" Jaken yelled.

Jaken continued to rant about rules and regulations as the two continued their way to Princess's evil lair. Kagome was half listening and half preparing herself for the battle ahead. She did take note that if the cat got out she would lose her job. That was one of the main facts she took in. If not the only one…

"Yes, I understand completely," Kagome said as she stared at the door that would lead to her enemy. Jaken sniffed and was about to leave when he noticed that Kagome was carrying an umbrella in her hands.

"Is it going to rain today?" Jaken asked in wonderment. Kagome just smiled and shook her head. Then she took the covering off the umbrella and clicked the button on the handle. The umbrella expanded till it was fully open. Kagome took hold of the doorknob and turned it slowly so the door was cracked. She glanced back at Jaken.

"Nope…" she said before venturing into Princess's room.


	4. Wednesday

Sesshomaru sat quietly at his kitchen table. It was very early in the morning, and he was enjoying a small breakfast before he left for work. A steaming hot cup of coffee with a glass of orange Juice on the side lay in front of him.

Jaken walked into the room and set down some toast in front of Sesshomaru. The other man barely took notice as he continued looking over some papers in his hands. Jaken stepped back and waited to be acknowledged by his employer, after a minute Sesshomaru finally took notice.

"What do you need? Is it about the chef again?" Sesshomaru said slightly irritated. He lifted his cup of coffee to his face. The drink smelt delightful. He took a gulp of coffee and set it back down on the kitchen table.

"No sir. Actually, it is about that girl. That new cat-walker we hired," Jaken said as he twiddled his thumbs. That answer caught Sesshomaru off guard. His full attention was now on Jaken.

"What is it about her? Will we have to hire another one? Has she quit like the others? Or did she let the cat out again?" Sesshomaru asked, shooting questions one after the other. Jaken was startled by his employer's sudden interest. Usually, he was one only to pay attention to things of the outmost importance to him.

"No sir, she is not quitting. In fact she said she would come early today, because she has somewhere to be later this afternoon. Yet, she wanted to fill in all her hours," Jaken informed Sesshomaru. His employer nodded his head.

Sesshomaru was relieved to hear the girl didn't quit. He wasn't sure why, but he was. In his mind, he was impressed that she hadn't quit. It showed that she was able to take a bad situation and try to make the best of it.

"If it is not that she is quitting, and then what do you have to tell me about her?" Sesshomaru asked as he took another sip of coffee. Glancing at his watch, he realized he would have to leave very soon.

"She is a very strange young woman. Yesterday, she had an umbrella before entering the cat's room," Jaken said simply. Sesshomaru almost spit out his coffee. That was an amusing thought. He set down his drink.

"Interesting…"

……………………………

Kagome scurried out her apartment and down the hallway. Her bags jumbled around in her arms and she stampeded down the stairs. By the time she got to the glass doors in the front of her apartment, she realized she had free hands to open the door. Turning around she pushed her back to the door to get it open.

She spotted Miroku standing by his car and headed into his direction. A small smile was on her face. He opened the back door and she dumped her belongings in the back. A sigh of relief left Kagome. She hated carrying heavy things for too long.

"Thanks again for taking me. I promise when I find an alternative I'll reimburse you what I owe in gas money," Kagome said as she bit her lip. She hated owing people money. Miroku just waved her off.

"It's fine. I don't really care. Plus, I'm pretty sure if Sango found out you paid me back, she'd punish me," Miroku said with a visible wince. Kagome giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. She hugged Miroku.

"Awesome. Just know that I love you for doing this. Thank thank thank you!" Kagome said and pulled back before Miroku could do anything. He was a nice guy, but he could be a little handsy at times.

"Do you have everything?" Miroku asked so they wouldn't forget anything before they hit the road. Kagome cocked her head to the side as she thought about it for a moment. A smirk found its way to her face as she reached her hand back into Miroku's back seat.

"I think the only thing I might possibly need is a new umbrella!" Kagome said laughing. She pulled the folded umbrella from the car. She pressed the button and it popped up. Miroku stared at it with complete disbelief. The whole thing was filled with holes. He laughed too.

After the umbrella joke was in the air and out of their system, they continued on their way. The drive from Kagome's apartment to Mr. Taisho's house was about twenty minutes. So the two chatted and talked about various things.

They finally stopped in front of the gate and Kagome got out. She gathered her things from the back and shut the door. Standing back from the car, she watched as Miroku drove away. Turning to the gate, she tried to think of how she was going to push the speaker button.

However, something caught Kagome's eye. She went over closer to the gate. It as a bright yellow sticky note with keys attached to it. She set some of her things down and lifted the sticky note and keys from the gate. On the sticky note it read:

_Miss Higurashi,_

_As head servant I am a very busy person._

_Today, I have many errands to attend to,_

_So I not able to open the gate for you_

_Here are the keys you need to open the gate._

_You will let yourself in._

_Do_ _**not** _ _lose these keys._

_Signed, Jaken._

Kagome just shook her head and took the key. Taking the lock to the gate in her hands, she turned the key inside it. The lock clicked open. Kagome ran back to her things and then returned through the gate.

As she made her way to the front door she noticed a car that was not normally there. It was a small blue compact car. Kagome just shrugged her shoulders and paid no mind to it. She figured it was just one of the other worker's here.

She had made into the front hall of the house. Kagome placed the keys into her pocket. She took in a deep breath and grabbed what was left of her umbrella. Thinking for a moment, she made a last minute decision. She took the eye-liner from her purse.

She spotted a mirror in the front entryway. She walked over to it and gazed at herself in the mirror. Uncapping the eyeliner she made the typical two black lines on each cheek. Kagome smiled at her reflection. She was ready.

She made her ascent up the stairs. Her steps were slow and steady. There was not a lot of time to do her duty today; she had somewhere to go after this. However, her current situation was not one to be taken lightly.

It stood in front of her now. It was the door or in her mind the portal to hell. Kagome's cerulean eyes narrowed. She opened up her tattered umbrella. It had served her well yesterday. The umbrella had been used as a shield of protection for her from the vicious attacks of the cat.

Her hand went for the door handle. A moment of reluctance flashed through Kagome's head, before she opened the door in. As soon as the door opened she pulled a mission impossible roll into the room. Lifting her head she spotted the 'beast'.

"Hello, Princess…" Kagome hissed. The cat's eyes pierced through her from its spot on the couch. Kagome did an army crawl, but a minute later decided against it. She stood up and leaned against the wall opposite of Princess. She realized lying on the floor might give Princess the chance to claw off her face.

Princess's eyes followed Kagome's movements, but that was all. It was a stare down, human against beast. The cat yawned and laid her head back down. Kagome thought at this moment that the little kitty looked cute enough to pet. However, she also knew if she tried the cute little kitty would show no remorse as it rips her arm off.

There was a long silence. Neither made a move. Kagome eyed the cat curiously. What was different about today? Kagome cautiously approached the evil feline. She managed to get three feet close to the cat. Still nothing happened…

Taking a major risk, Kagome inched her hand towards Princess. The cat watched the hand, but did nothing. Kagome rested her hand on the couch. Princess lifted her head and sniffed Kagome's hand. Suddenly the cat went back to her normal ways.

The cat reared up and bared her fangs. Kagome knew that pose well. Princess was preparing to lunge. Scrambling backwards, Kagome put her back against the wall and waited for the demon cat. Then the cat did something Kagome hadn't been expecting.

Doing what seemed to be a triple back-flip, Princess jumped off the couch. She landed on her feet with absolute perfect precision and then bottled out the open door like a bat out of hell. Kagome looked on with total disbelief.

"Nooooo!" she yelled. Why had she been stupid enough to leave the door open? This was not good at all. If Jaken caught the cat scurrying around the halls again, it would be her job!

Kagome pulled herself off the ground and headed towards the door. Before she made it completely out the door, she swung her body around and went back into the room. She picked up the tattered umbrella that had fallen out of her hands in her time of panic. With umbrella gripped in her fist, Kagome headed out of the door again.

Her eyes scanned the hallway. Where could that cat possibly be? As Kagome made her way through the house, her mind began to wander. Worse case scenarios started popping up in her head and spreading like some horrible disease.

What if she got lost in this house never to escape? What if the cat was Kagome's literal Minotaur? What if she died here? What if the cat died? That last thought actually filled Kagome with a warm happy feeling, but she was sure the owner would not have the same reaction.

"Here Princess…Where are you?" Kagome chanted as she held her umbrella high just in case the cat actually decided to show up. That is when Kagome heard a noise from behind her.

They were light taps. Kagome's eyes narrowed. It had to have been that demonic cat. Kagome gulped as she noticed the sound of foot-steps didn't stop. Taking a deep breath, Kagome whipped around.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!" Kagome screamed, and the tiny figure mimicked her as she fell on her bottom. Doey brown eyes stared up at Kagome in fear and utter confusion. Kagome lowered her umbrella and her mouth hung open in shock.

The doey eyed creature before her was no other than a little girl. The girl's brown hair appeared messy and thrown together. A tiny side pony-tail held her hair in place. After a minute or two of just staring at each-other, Kagome finally spoke up.

"Who are you?" Kagome asked curiously. The girl said nothing, but merely blinked. Kagome placed her umbrella on the ground slowly. A minute later she was sitting Indian style in front of the girl. Kagome figured she looked less threatening if she didn't have a make-shift weapon in her hand.

"My name is Rin," the little girl said bringing Kagome's attention back to her. Kagome blinked and a wry smile spread on her face. At least her and the little girl had calmed down from their little hallway freakout.

"Um….hello Rin. My name is Kagome… and I'm the newest cat-walker," Kagome said. She had added that last part just in case. Rin smiled back at Kagome and scooted closer to the older girl.

"Hi Miss Kagome Lady. Now that we know each other, can I ask you a question?" Rin asked innocently. Kagome's wry smile turned into a real one. This girl was pretty cute.

"Sure, go for it!" Kagome said. Rin bit her lip and eyed Kagome a bit longer. Scooting closer, she stopped till her and Kagome's knees were touching. Reaching up with tiny little kid fingers she stroked the side of Kagome's cheek and then retracted her hand. Kagome blinked. What was that about?

"Why do you have black lines on your face?" Rin asked. Kagome was taken aback by the question. Then she took time to think about it. She vaguely remembered using her eye-liner as 'war-paint'.

"Oh, it's not really that important. I put it on earlier when I was preparing to face the cat of death," Kagome said with distaste. Rin giggled and tried to stifle her laughter with her tiny hands. Kagome found the attempt to be adorable.

"I know what you mean. I don't like daddy's cat very much either. Princess is mean to me too," Rin said smiling. Kagome laughed. Finally, someone that despised the cat as much as she did. Then Kagome registered what the little girl had fully said.

"Wait, Mr. Taisho is your father?" Kagome asked in disbelief. During this whole conversation, she never did take the time to contemplate why a random little girl was wandering around the guy's house. Then again the two girls hadn't met each other till this afternoon, and Rin's father failed to mention the little girl's existence.

"Yes," Rin said plainly as she smiled. Kagome then took notice of a nearby room. The door was cracked open. Kagome heard the muffled noise of the television and saw a figure sitting on the couch. It appeared to be a woman a little older than she was.

"Oh. Is that your mother?" Kagome asked. She felt disappointed for some reason. She had no idea why. Rin turned to where Kagome was looking and her smile fell. A look of disgust covered the little girl's face now.

"No. That's my babysitter Kagura. She's about as nice as the cat…" Rin said sticking out her tongue for effect. Kagome couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up inside her. She couldn't imagine a person as evil as that cat.

"I'm sorry to hear that about your babysitter. So, where is your mother?" Kagome asked. Rin looked back up at Kagome with a sad expression. Kagome's stomach clenched, she didn't realize that this might be a sore subject for Rin.

"Rin doesn't have a mommy. Rin was an orphan. She was adopted by daddy. He made everything better. Rin is happier now…" Rin said with a sad smile. Kagome found it odd that the girl had reverted to using third person, but she figured it had something to do with the situation.

There was nothing but silence for a while. Rin glanced at Kagome with that same sad smile. Kagome was almost crushed by it. Cautiously the older girl reached her hand over and grasped the little girl's hand. Rin's eyes sparkled.

"What you up to brat and who the hell is with you?" griped a feminine voice. The woman that had been in the other room made her presence known. She had smooth ebony hair tied up in a bun, piercing red eyes, and ruby red lips. She clicked her tongue.

"Um, I'm the Cat-walker. Speaking of which, I need to go find that darn cat," Kagome said standing up. She was slightly embarrassed. This woman just seemed to intimidate her as much as Sesshomaru had. Rin followed Kagome's movements with her eyes.

"Whatever…come on kid, we're going to watch some more America's Top Model," Kagura said whipping her head around and walking back into the other room. Rin sighed as she stood up. When the little girl was standing upright she smiled over at Kagome before following after Kagura.

Kagome smiled brightly. Rin was such a sweet little girl. Kagome was surprised by this, because she had no idea who could have taught her to be so sweet. There weren't a lot of very good influences for that specific trait. As far as she could tell Jaken, Sesshomaru, Rin's babysitter, and as a matter of fact Princess didn't have that nice trait…

"Speaking of which…Where in the world is that cat?" Kagome thought aloud as she once again scooped up her umbrella. She began walking down the hall and turned the corner. The hunt was on again.

It took about fifteen minutes to track down the demonic cat, and another fifteen to get it back in its lair. Kagome was panting as she shut Princess's door. The girl had gained one ore two new scratches and gained a layer of sweat. However, she had the wondrous feeling that she was still alive.

Kagome checked her watch and realized that she had finished just in time. Miroku would be pulling his car beside the gate any minute now. Taking her hands off the door, Kagome made her way to the stairs.

Once she made it downstairs, she collected her things and left through the front door. She made it down a couple of front porch steps when the front door opened. Kagome turned back to see a tiny head peeking out from behind the door.

"You're leaving?" Rin asked sadly. Kagome shifted some of her things, because they were beginning to become heavy. Giving up after a minute of shuffling around uncomfortably, she set her things down.

"Yes. I have someone to be. I'm sorry Rin…" Kagome said. She really was sorry. She had a strong urge to not leave the poor little girl in the hands of that seemingly evil babysitter. Rin stepped a bit more out of the doorway.

"Will you be back tomorrow?" Rin asked. Kagome noticed that the girl's hands clutched the door frame tightly when she asked. Her tiny finger were beginning to turn a pale white. Kagome never would have known she was this important to the girl she had just met today.

"Yes Rin, I will back here tomorrow. I promise," Kagome answered. Kagome watched as Rin broke out into a big smile. Kagome found the little girl's antics to be completely precious.

"YAY! I'm so happy! Bye Kagome! See you tomorrow!" Rin said excitedly before slamming the door closed again. Kagome just blinked and then shook her head. A smile came to her face. She had always loved little kids.

Picking up her things from the porch, Kagome headed off again. She hoped Miroku hadn't been waiting too long. Kagome's mind then began to wander to her current job. She had managed to survive another day.

"Only four more to go…"


	5. Thursday

A bedraggled Kagome walked into the coffee shop. She yawned very wide and then closed her mouth. She spotted Sango and dragged her feet to where the other girl was. The night class she had yesterday had really taken it out of her. She carried various text-books and papers in her arms.

"Wow Kags, did you get any sleep at all? You look like something the cat threw up…" Sango said, Kagome glared hard at her. Sango laughed sheepishly, "I guess it's still too early for cat jokes,"

Kagome mumbled something along the lines of 'you bet it is' and put her head onto the table. Sango giggled into her hand. A minute or two later the giggling stopped, and Sango slid over a cup of coffee towards Kagome. The tired girl lifted her head to stare at the coffee. Her gaze was scrutinizing.

"What's the catch?" Kagome asked as she continued to stare at the coffee cup. Sango's smile faded and she seemed nervous. Kagome's eyes narrowed and she stood up straight. Sango tapped her fingers on the table.

"Why does there have to be a catch?" Sango stammered. Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. She watched the cup a coffee for a few moments more, before picking it up and taking a sip.

"Just tell me already. I'll just accept it and ask for another coffee," Kagome said sighing. Sango continued to tap her fingers on the table and clicked her tongue. After a second or two her fingers stopped their persistent tapping.

"Fine, I'll tell. The bad news is that Miroku can't drive you to work today," released Sango finally in one breath. Kagome sprayed coffee onto the table as she almost choked. The other occupants of the coffee shop turned their heads to look at her briefly before going back to their business. Kagome took a second to breathe.

"But, I still need to get to my job! How can I now? I can't lose this job! Oh no…What am I going to do now?" Kagome groaned as she set her half-empty coffee cup down. Sango looked at the table and pulled out some napkins from the holder beside her. She worked on the table, before looking up to talk to Kagome.

"Don't worry. I fixed the problem. Instead of Miroku taking you to your employer's house, he said his friend would do it," Sango said as she swiped the table with another napkin. Kagome had a bad feeling the pit of her stomach. She felt like something bad was going to happen.

"Which friend?"

…………………………

"Send out the files, make the appropriate arrangements, cancel my appointment for three, and lock my office door when I leave. The more important corporation files are in my posession, and I'll be here early tomorrow morning for the meeting," Sesshomaru informed his secretary as he collected his things for the day. He always left early on Thursdays to spend time with his adoptive daughter.

"Alright Mr. Taisho, I will make sure to get all of that in order. By the way, say hello to Rin for me," his secretary said smiling. Sesshomaru replied with no answer and made his way out of the main office. His secretary tailed him as he made his way to the elevator and pushed the button.

"I will see what I can do," Sesshomaru said as he hefted his briefcase higher onto his broad shoulder. The secretary stood there for a few moments as the elevator doors opened and Sesshomaru prepared to slip through. She had just remembered something.

"Oh yes Mr. Taisho! I almost forgot to inform you. You'll need someone to accompany you to the company function. You're required to have a date for tomorrow," his secretary exclaimed as the elevator cut off his vision of her at the last second.

Sesshomaru stood there stiffly for a moment in the tiny confined space. This new information about the company function swirled in his mind. Some of the details in the information proved to be problematic to Sesshomaru.

"A date?" Sesshomaru voiced aloud to himself. He never needed one before. Or at least he never chose to bring a date before. He supposed with a woman hanging on his arm he might look a bit more impressive; but where would he get one?

The thought continued to plague him as he got into his car. Sesshomaru laid his briefcase in the passenger's seat and sighed. He stayed quiet for a moment as he rubbed his temples. Taking a deep breath and he put his keys in and started the engine. He decided not to dwell on the thought for the duration of the ride home.

He turned out of the buildings parking lot and drove onto the main road. The car was silent. It normally was unless Rin was in the car. She would always request the radio be turned on and then the station would be turned to some light pop music. Sesshomaru would usually announce his distinct dislike of the music, but he never turned the radio off.

It was one of his guilty pleasures to listen to the bouncy tunes. He wasn't sure why he enjoyed it. He supposed it was because seeing the smile on his daughters face while she listened to the cheery melody. The epitome of his guilty pleasure was when he was forced to endure Hannah Montana. He had to admit he secretly enjoyed listening to the girl. Yet, he would most likely die a horrible torturous death than to ever admit it.

Thinking over the matter for a minute or two as he turned around the corner of the street, He decided he might want to listen to some music. His fingers itched to be moved from the steering wheel and onto the radio dial, but he was particularly defensive driver so he decided against turning the radio on until after he stopped. A yellow stoplight came into view and he began to slow down his vehicle.

Suddenly a shining red convertible whizzed by and ran the red-light. An ear piercing scream erupted from the vehicle as he drove by. Sesshomaru eyed the car as it disappeared into the distance. His golden eyes blinked as he took in some information.

He was almost certain that the person driving that particular car was non-other than his younger half-brother. He was also fairly certain he'd heard that scream before as well. He thought there was someone else in that car. A moment later, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and he sighed.

"Why am I bothering to think about that idiot?" he said aloud as he reached his hand over and turned on the radio. He had other things to think about than his annoying younger brother. Shifting around the stations, Sesshomaru finally found the station he wanted to listen to. He always tended to enjoy Fergie songs.

…………………………….

Kagome's hands gripped the leather seats tighter as she watched a million stop-lights pass them by. Her eyes were wide in complete terror. Her screams continued to be relentless as they swerved along roads as if there was nothing in their way.

"Will you quit screaming? God, you're so annoying when you do that. Miroku owes me big time for doing this. I could be wasting my time doing something else rather than driving your happy ass everywhere," a slightly miffed voice called over the screams and loud music booming in the car.

"Inuyasha, could you please slow down just a bit?" Kagome pleaded as she looked up at him. Inuyasha sighed and began to lighten his foots pressure on the accelerator. They were close to where they needed to be anyway. Kagome breathed out deeply in relief as she began to sink down into her car seat.

"Is this the right street?" Inuyasha mumbled as he turned down his radio slightly. Kagome nodded as her grip on the leather seat loosened. She started to sit back up in the seat again. She moved some hair out of her face and let out another breath

"Yeah. We're almost there, thank god. It's 708 Woody Pines Drive where we need to be," Kagome said. Inuyasha grew quiet. He started to slow down to the actual speed limit. He looked over at her and grew silent. He started driving off to the side of the road to drop Kagome off at the gate.

"Are you sure this is the right house?" Inuyasha inquired once more. Kagome opened the side door and practically jumped out. She turned around and picked up her things. Taking a second to pat her side pocket she felt around for the keys Jaken had given her. Nodding her head she finally paid attention to Inuyasha again.

"Yes, I am very certain that this is where I'm supposed to be. I've only been coming here for the past three days," Kagome said in a biting tone. She had finally gotten her voice back after that terrifying drive here.

Kagome turned her back to Inuyasha and began to walk away. She was overjoyed to finally be on solid ground once again. Finally reaching the gate she set down her things. She began to dig around her pocket for the keys only to have them snatched out of her hand as she finally got them out.

"Huh?" Kagome intelligently said. She turned her head behind her only to see Inuyasha holding up the keys in his hand. Striding over to the gate, he put the key into the lock and turned it. When the lock opened, he threw the keys back to the now dazed Kagome.

"I can't believe they gave someone like you keys and not me," Inuyasha said as he walked back to his car. Kagome was thoroughly confused now and could just simply watch in complete bewilderment at Inuyasha. That is until he almost ran over her as he went through the gate. Kagome yelped as she jumped out of the way.

She fell to the dirt road that led to the house and watched in horror as Inuyasha sped down the long driveway to park beside the house. Kagome hastily stood up and collected her things. She sprinted after Inuyasha as fast as she could as the gate began to slowly close. Her feet stampeded down the road till she reached Inuyasha's car. Said Person, took the time to step out of his vehicle.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kagome yelled exasperated. Inuyasha quirked a brow and said nothing. Walking straight past her, he made his way to the front door. Kagome blinked and followed after the obviously insane fool. What on earth was he doing?

"Do you think anyone is home?" Inuyasha asked curiously in his rough voice. Kagome was aghast at what was happening. It only got more unbelievable as Inuyasha just waltzed right into her employer's house. This guy was crazy!

"What!? Inuyasha get out right now. This could get me fired!" Kagome said as she desperately attempted to push Inuyasha out the front entranceway. However, the body mass of the petite young woman was obviously not enough to shove the obviously larger male body mass anywhere.

"Hmmm…looks like nothings changed that much," Inuyasha commented as he looked around some more. Kagome panted as she almost collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion. She already had to deal with the demon cat from the underworld; any other problems were just irritating. Not hearing what Inuyasha had just said Kagome proceeded to belt out.

"What are you doing in her anyway? Are you planning to steal something?" Kagome exclaimed. Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms. He looked over at Kagome and quirked a brow. He clicked his tongue.

"Trust me he doesn't have anything I want…" Inuyasha said acidly. Kagome groaned and she swept up her belongings off the floor once again. She gave up on physically removing Inuyasha and decided to nicely ask for him to get the hell off the premises. That is until she was certain she had heard a car door.

Kagome rushed towards the window and peered out from behind the curtain. Her eyes widened in utter terror. Her worst fear had come true. Actually, that wasn't entirely true. Her worst fear was that the evil demonic cat would go Godzilla and kill her in her sleep. Kagome shivered. However, this came in a close second. The only thing worse than the cat was her owner; and he had just arrived home.

"Oh my god! What am I going to do? Inuyasha this is your entire fault! I'm probably going to get fired!" Kagome shrieked. Inuyasha just sighed and looked in the mirror by the side hallway. The same mirror Kagome had stood in front of the other day as she prepared for war.

"What's got your panties in a knot? You've been yelling at me for the past fifteen minutes, when will you let up?" asked Inuyasha particularly irritated. Kagome almost strangled him at the moment. Then the heard the door handle jiggle. Their eyes turned to the front door.

Inuyasha didn't seem that interested in Kagome's current dire situation, although his eyes did narrow slightly. Kagome, however, had an entirely different reaction. Her eyes grew wide in complete and utter terror. Her bottom lip trembled. Her belongings had once again found themselves on the cold unforgiving floor. There was complete silence. The door creaked open. The person behind it revealed themselves.

"Rin!?" the two occupants of the house spouted out of their mouths at the same time. Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other. Then they both looked at Rin. Then they looked at each other again, and so the process repeated. Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but Rin beat her too it.

"Uncle Inuyasha!" Rin cheered happily as she stampeded towards the young man and wrapped her tiny arms around his leg. Kagome's mouth flopped open like a fish. She looked over at Inuyasha, but all he did was give her a big smirk. Rin giggled happily.

"Uncle Inuyasha?" Kagome questioned, yet she was certain she already knew the answer. Rin looked up from Inuyasha's leg and spotted Kagome. The little girl's eyes sparkled again and released her grip of Inuyasha only to latch onto the other individual in the room.

"Kagome, you came back like you said!" squealed the young girl happily. Kagome took the time to smile and patted the girl's head. She remembered her promise from yesterday. She was happy to reassure the girl that she had indeed returned.

"What is going on here?" a sinister sounding voice bellowed. 'Happy moment gone' Kagome thought. She slowly maneuvered her head to look in the direction of the door only to be faced with two burning golden eyes staring back at her. Kagome wanted to cry. She watched as Sesshomaru stomped forward and….turned to yell at Inuyasha.

"How on earth did you get in here?" Sesshomaru snapped at his younger half-brother. Inuyasha tightened his crossed arms closer to his chest and glared defiantly at Sesshomaru. Kagome could only watch on as Rin gripped her leg tighter. The little girl looked over at her father with a confused expression on her face.

"She gave me the keys!" Inuyasha said as he pointed over at Kagome. The same piercing gold eyes found Kagome again. 'He wouldn't kill me in front of the child would he?' Kagome thought hopefully as Sesshomaru continued to look at her with murderous intent. Kagome held Rin closer to her.

"He's lying! He took them right out of my hand!" Kagome said in a panic. She desperately hoped he believed. She was telling the truth. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed. She ruined his plan of blaming most of this on her. Oh well.

"No matter. Inuyasha what are you doing here?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I came to see Rin, what else? You don't honestly think I'd go out of my way to see you?" Inuyasha retorted.

"How dare you think you can just show up uninvited and try to take my daughter on the one day I take the time to spend my time with her!" Sesshomaru growled.

Both stopped as they heard the shuffling sounds beside them. They turned their heads to look upon the source of the noise. Kagome shifted uncomfortably again as Rin continued watching her father and uncle. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed.

"This is none of your business girl. I suggest you go do your job," Sesshomaru snapped at Kagome. The young woman shut her open mouth tight and slowly detached herself from Rin. Walking over to her stuff, and picked up her new umbrella. She made her way up the stairs in a hurry to avoid anymore argument.

"Rin you should probably go up to your room," Inuyasha said softly. The little girl nodded her head and followed Kagome's example by going up the stairs. She looked back once to gaze at her father and uncle before disappearing behind the banister.

"I suggest you leave now…" Sesshomaru warned.

"Not a chance," Inuyasha replied smugly.

Sesshomaru sneered.

EVILCATEVILCATEVILCATEVILCAT EVILCATEVILCATEVILCATEVILCAT

Kagome sighed with relief as she slid down the door with the word Princess neatly printed on its front. She took time to breath before inspecting any damage that might have come to her in the past hour. Surprisingly finding no battle wounds of any kind, she slumped her shoulders. Lifting her hand she eyed the now hole-filled umbrella that had been brand new this morning.

"Ha ha… Holy Umbrella," Kagome said aloud as she thought about it. Throwing the now useless object across the hall, Kagome slowly stood up. She yawned into her hand. The night classes from yesterday were still taking a toll on her. She felt a tug on her t-shirt.

"Miss Kagome, you dropped your umbrella," Rin said innocently as she handed the umbrella to the older woman. Kagome tried not to crack a smile. This girl was too cute for her own girl. Patting the younger girl's head she replied with a soft 'thank-you'.

The two walked downstairs in quiet. Kagome was simply exhausted. She wasn't sure why the little one was quiet. She'd like to think it was for her sake. Then again she knows little kids can only be quiet for so long. She reached the last step and spotted her things. A thought struck her. She hoped Inuyasha was still here. Or else she wouldn't have a ride home.

She clumped her things into her arms and prepared to go out front to check if he was still here. That is until she ran into what seemed to be a brick wall. However, many things can seem like anything. It took her a moment to realize she'd run into a person. She gazed up to find it was Sesshomaru.

"Oh uh… Mr. Taisho. Is Inuyasha still here?" Kagome inquired timidly. The older man's face seemed to turn sour at the mention of his brother's name. It looked like he actually took time to think about it and his frown deepened.

"No. Why?" Sesshomaru asked bitterly. Kagome flinched. Inuyasha obviously put this guy in a severely bad move. She hoped never to get on this guy's bad side. Then she realized something. Something fairly important.

"Oh no! He can't be gone! He's my only way home!" Kagome cried with anguish. She lowered her head to her chest and tried to think of a way out of this now problematic situation. She heard a particularly loud sniff and looked up at Sesshomaru again.

"So you are associated with that moron," Sesshomaru stated more than asked.

"Actually, he's really only a friend's boyfriend's best friend who happened to have a motorized vehicle that could drive me to work!" Kagome quickly shot back. Sesshomaru quirked a brow and just stared at the odd girl a moment before saying anything back.

"Either way, I suppose I'll be the one taking you home since there seems to be no other options," Sesshomaru said.

"And she can stay with us for dinner!" piped in a sweet little voice. Kagome and Sesshomaru looked over at Rin as she giggled happily. A doll was in her tiny hands and she clutched it tightly. The little girl looked at her father expectantly. Sesshomaru almost faltered. Almost.

"Well, I'm certain she has something very important to do and needs to leave soon," Sesshomaru suggested while looking at Kagome as if to say 'you will agree to this notion'. Kagome bit her lip and then looked over to Rin. She then fell victim to the girl's puppy dog eyes.

"Actually I don't have any classes tomorrow or anymore left today," Kagome said. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the girl, but Kagome could only laugh sheepishly. Ten minutes later the trio found themselves sitting at the dining room table as they waited for the chefs' to finish the food.

Kagome sat awkwardly in her chair. The dining room was mostly quiet except for Rin who chatted happily to anyone that would listen. Most of the time the chatter was directed at the doll. Sesshomaru peered from the corner of his eye at the young woman who had for some unexplainable reason happened to invade his life.

Her ebony hair fell down in waves past her shoulder as she leaned her elbows onto the table to support herself. It was horrible table manners in all aspects, but she made it look so dazzling. Sesshomaru tried to shake off the thoughts in his head. Thoughts of his latest cat-walker had taken up most of the time as of late.

He had absolutely no idea why. She wasn't technically anything special at all. For heaven's sake! She took care of cats for a job. Then again she was in college and he does pay well. Not matter how hard he tried, Sesshomaru could not seem to find any reasoning not to like the young woman.

Dinner continued on in the same silence as it had started out with. Again with the only exception being Rin. Kagome thoroughly uncomfortable now and was ready to go home. It was one thing dealing with the evil cat. It was an entire other thing when she was dealing with the cat's owner. Rin was enjoyable though.

"Well, I suppose it's time for you to take me home," Kagome said as she broke the silence. Sesshomaru nodded his head and prepared to get out of his seat. Rin looked absolutely heartbroken about this announcement. That is until she got a very good idea. The little girl smiled mischievously.

"What about movie night?" Rin asked pouting. Her lip began to tremble slightly as she looked up at Kagome with slightly teary eyes. Young children were always manipulative like that. They always know how to get adults to bend to their will.

"Movie night?" Kagome questioned as she glanced over at Sesshomaru for an answer. The other adult in the room could already see through his daughter's trick, but decided to go along with it anyway. He might as well answer his cat walker.

"Yes. Every Thursday I come home early so that Rin and I can have dinner together. Then afterwards we always watch a movie we've rented. I believe this time Rin decided on watching 'Enchanted' today," Sesshomaru answered. After the word 'Enchanted' came out of his lips both girl's eyes sparkled.

"OH! I've wanted to watch that. I never got to see in theatres. I know I'm kind of old for movies like that, but I'm a dedicated Disney fan. I can't help it," Kagome said as she smiled. Rin gained a smile of her own as she grasped Kagome's hand.

"Then you've got to watch the movie with us Miss Kagome!" Rin said excitingly. Kagome was at a loss of words. She looked over at Sesshomaru for guidance. As much as she loved this little girl and Disney movies, she wasn't sure she wanted to endure another awkward silence filled event. Sesshomaru said nothing and grabbed his keys from the counter.

Minutes later Kagome found she once again was manipulated by a little girl. She was now sitting in Sesshomaru's car as they drove to the video store. It was a small compact car just big enough to fit five people. Sesshomaru and Kagome sat in the front, while Rin road in the back with her doll. Luckily, it wasn't as quiet as dinner.

Rin had insisted on the radio being on so the car now had a light tune floating around in it. Kagome couldn't bear to look at Sesshomaru. She was still embarrassed about getting sucked into another situation by his daughter. So with no other option, Kagome could only gaze out the car window and watch the street lights whiz by. Suddenly a familiar tune found its way to her ears and she began to softly sing along to it.

He was completely bewildered. Sesshomaru just had now idea on how this could have possibly occurred. One minute he had never taken the time to ever interact with any cat-walker he ever had hired, and now he was driving one to the video store so that they could partake in watching a movie with him. This seemed entirely illogical.

Sesshomaru tried to focus on his thoughts and the road at the same time. After a minute he decided to think about it later. That is when he heard it. The voice on the radio mixing with a slightly lighter voice beside him. His eyes turned towards Kagome.

" _Head underwater  
And they tell me  
To breathe easy for a while  
Breathing gets harder, even I know that  
Made room for me; but it's too soon to see  
If I'm happy in your hands  
I'm unusually hard to hold on to_

_Blank stares at blank pages  
No easy way to say this  
You mean well, but you make this hard on me"_

He watched as Kagome sang lightly along to the song. It wasn't any award winning voice, but it was nice. She seemed oblivious to the world as her voice began to grow louder and carry outward as she continued to stare out the car window.

" _I'm not gonna write you a love song  
'cause you asked for it  
'cause you need one, you see  
I'm not gonna write you a love song  
'cause you tell me it's  
Make or break in this  
If you're on your way  
I'm not gonna write you to stay  
If all you have is leavin',  
Imma need a better reason  
To write you a love song today (today)_

_I learned the hard way  
That they all say  
Things you want to hear  
And my heavy heart sinks deep down under you and  
Your twisted words,  
Your help just hurts  
You are not what I thought you were  
Hello to high and dry_

_Convinced me to please you  
Made me think that I need this too  
I'm trying to let you hear me as I am"_

The street lights illuminated her ebony hair as she continued to sing to herself. She had caught the attention of his daughter now. The small girl was now trying to mimic the woman in front of her. She sang in her own childish tone though, and when she was unsure of the words she made them up.

" _I'm not gonna write you a love song  
'cause you asked for it  
'cause you need one, you see  
I'm not gonna write you a love song  
'cause you tell me it's  
Make or break in this  
If you're on your way  
I'm not gonna write you to stay  
If all you have is leavin',  
Imma need a better reason  
To write you a love song today_

_Promise me that you'll leave the light on  
To help me see with daylight, my guide, gone  
'cause I believe there's a way you can love me  
Because I say  
I won't write you a love song  
'cause you asked for it  
'cause you need one, you see_

_I'm not gonna write you a love song  
'cause you tell me it's make or break in this  
Is that why you wanted a love song  
'cause you asked for it  
'cause you need one, you see  
I'm not gonna write you a love song  
'cause you tell me it's make or break in this  
If you're on your way  
I'm not gonna write you to stay  
If your heart is nowhere in it  
I don't want it for a minute  
Babe, I'll walk the seven seas when I believe that  
There's a reason to  
Write you a love song today_ _…"_

"That was a very lovely song. Who sings it?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome was startled for a moment as she turned to the man driving. It took the young a moment to realize what he had asked. She blushed when she thought about how loud she must have been singing.

"Um well… her name is Sara Barellies," Kagome answered as they finally pulled up to the video store. Sesshomaru nodded his head at Kagome's answer and turned off the engine. The newly formed trio made their way out of the vehicle.

They made it into the video store and Rin wandered to find 'Enchanted'. Kagome just stood by the junk food the shop offered as she waited. She realized that she had really taken time off to do something like watch a movie in a long time. Maybe this was a good change. She felt someone approach up beside her.

"Hopefully after the movie, I'll finally be able to take you home," Sesshomaru said plainly. Kagome smiled and almost giggled. She was almost ready to go home now. Although, her want to see this movie was a far more appealing.

"That would be nice," Kagome answered truthfully. Her eyes fell to the rows of Disney movies in the back corner. She could see Rin scurrying around in that area. She wondered if the little girl knew the movies were in alphabetical order. She also wondered of the girl could actually read. She supposed she did.

"Do you mind me asking why my half-brother had to drive you to work today?" Sesshomaru asked breaking Kagome out of her train of thought once again. She looked at him and thought about her answer for a moment. She decided to be honest with her answer.

"I don't have enough money for the subway. My friend's boyfriend couldn't take me today. I don't think he will be able to anymore this week actually. Plus it seems that you brother has no problem abandoning me. He drove me today, but his driving skills scared me half to death. So, now I suppose I'll to find a new mode of transportation," Kagome replied.

"I might be able to drive you to my house the rest of this week. I can pick you up at that little coffee shop in the middle of town. I'm aware that a lot of you college students go there, plus it's close to my office. I imagine it wouldn't be too much of a hindrance for any us," Sesshomaru provided, while trying to hide the fact that the only reason he knew college students went there was because of her.

"Wow. That would be really great. Thank-you," Kagome said in a surprised tone. She smiled up at him. Sesshomaru taken aback by her reaction turned to look off in the distance to avoid her eyes. Was he embarrassed? That was impossible. Right? Sesshomaru nodded his head to say 'you're welcome'.

"So you really enjoy Disney movies?" Sesshomaru asked with no real interest in the subject. He just wanted something to distract him from his other swarming thoughts at the time. Plus he enjoyed listening to this young woman's voice. Kagome brightened up at this question.

"Yeah. I love them to death. I've always been a sucker for Fairy Tales. When I was little I'd always pretend that I was one of the princesses'. Then I'd wait for my handsome prince…" Kagome answered and then got quiet towards the end. Her face contorted into some strange expression, but then lightened again as Rin came rushing towards them.

"I found it! I found it!" Rin cheered. She rammed into her father's leg and thrust the DVD case into his face. Sesshomaru carefully de-attached the DVD from the little girl's grasp and started heading to the register. After the DVD was gone from her hand, Rin went over to Kagome and latched on to her hand.

The three approached the counter in a line. Kagome squeezed Rin's hand with a smile and looked up. Her eyes widened in utter horror. A face she had hoped to never see again had appeared once more. The young man seemed to recognize her as well and smiled. It was the guy she had met at 'The Cat's Meow'. The one that had decided to strip down in front of the whole world.

"Oh hi Miss! I remember you! I'm sorry that I didn't introduce myself properly last time. My name's Christian!" the young man said happily as he outstretched a hand. Kagome eyed for a moment before heading out of the video store with Rin trailing behind her as Sesshomaru paid for the DVD. Sesshomaru had watched the scene with interest but said nothing.

He would ask about it later…

SATANICCAT SATANICCAT SATANICCAT SATANICCAT SATANICCAT

The room was dark except for the glow of the television. The two girls had thoroughly enjoyed the movie Sesshomaru noted. In the beginning they had smiled when the first song came on. Towards the middle they were both unsure who they wanted Giselle to end up with. And at the end they were overly happy with the results.

He had only been gone a few minutes to some things for the office. He thought that Kagome could keep Rin company. The two had been happily chatting away when he left, yet now they were both sound asleep. When he had flicked on the living room light the sight had surprised him. When he caught sight of his daughter cuddled protectively in the arms of this young woman, it seemed appropriate. It was almost like she was Rin's mother.

The thought swept a strange feeling through Sesshomaru, but he tried to ignore. Almost reluctantly he made his way to the couch where they both lay asleep. Ebony hair half-covered her face as she breathed softly. Her eyes crinkled from the light that was now filling the room. Sesshomaru cautiously reached out his hand to wake Kagome.

"I'm sorry Kagome, but you must leave now…"


	6. Friday

Kagome flopped out of bed around 11 AM. She didn't have any classes today so she had nothing to worry about. She laid there a moment in the sheets sprawled around her on the floor and breathed in deeply. Reluctantly getting off the floor, Kagome headed towards her bathroom.

Her whole body felt gritty and dirty. It was most likely due to the fact she had fallen asleep in her clothes. She couldn't help it. She had been severely tired. She had almost slept over at Mr. Taisho's house. However, he had made sure to wake her up and take her home. Once he did she had rushed to her apartment and fell into her bed.

Kagome looked in the mirror and grimaced. She looked like a wreck. She scratched her head leisurely for a moment before slipping out of her dirty clothes. She scampered over to the shower and turned it on. She tested her hand under the water and decided she'd wait a minute for it to warm up a bit. While Kagome waited she reached her hand over to her shower radio.

She turned the dial on and let the music filter the room. Walking over to her cabinets she bent down and opened it up to pull out a towel. Setting the towel on the hook by the shower, she reached over and tested the water again. As she stepped in her ears caught the latest song playing.

"Oh my god! I love this song," Kagome cheered happily as she did a little dance in her shower. She reached over for her shampoo and started singing along to the song filtering into her shower. Kagome swayed her hips to the beat as she started putting the shampoo into her hair.

" _I N D E P E N D E N T_

_Do You Know What That Mean Mean_

_INDEPENDENT_

_Do you Know What That Mean Mean  
She Got Her Own House  
She Got Her Own Car  
Two Jobs Work Hard U A Bad Broad  
If U Aint On Sit Down  
If U Aint On Sit Down  
If U Aint On Sit Down  
If U Aint On Sit Down"_

Normally this song wouldn't fall into Kagome's normal choice of music, but she had stupid reasons to why she totally loved this song. The first time she had heard it on the radio it had cracked her up. It was so absurd she couldn't help it. It amused her to no end that someone had made a very popular song by simply spelling.

" _I N D E P E N D E N T Do You Know What That Mean  
Baby Phat Jus Relax Front Ya Own Flat Screen  
Back Rubs Cook Clean And Dont Make Her Make Her Scene  
When U Call Her On Her Cellular  
She Tell She Dont Need  
Not A God Damn Thing You A Hot Damn Thing  
If U Think U Finna Get Her Wit A God Damn Chain  
You Insane Boy You Betta Get Some God Damn Change  
She A Fool Been In School Even Walked Across The Stage  
She Say I Love Webbie From His Looks To His Ways  
The Stilletos The Jays Depend On How The Weather Look  
Flip Flops Slippers Jus To Show Off The Pedicure  
Flip Flop Nis Depend On How The Cheddar Look  
She'll Buy Her Own I Dont Think She 'll Never Look  
In A Man Face Standin Waitin For Him To Take Care Of Her  
She'll Rather Go To Work And Pay The Bills On Schedule"_

"I wish I was a real independent woman," Kagome sighed as she rinsed her hair. It was another reason she enjoyed this song. It talked about independent women who don't need a man. She wished she could be like that. Yet, as her current predicament foretold it wasn't very likely. She as of right now was dependent on a lot of people.

Kagome used her fingers to brush conditioner through her hair. She took time to wash it out and then scrubbed down her body with body wash. After she was done she stepped out of the shower. She grabbed her towel and scrubbed down her hair. Then she wrapped it around her body.

She went over to the mirror and played around with her hair. Kagome pulled a hair-dryer out of the drawer and plugged it into the wall. She twittered her fingers along the counter as she waited for it to heat up. She nodded her head to the beat of the song currently playing and thought about what she should wear today.

Thirty minutes after getting dressed into a cutesy outfit, Kagome was out the door and headed out of her apartment it was around 1:15 now. She had about an hour and fifteen minutes before Mr. Taisho picked her up. She pulled her book-bag higher on her shoulder and bolted down the street. Then she spotted the most glorious thing in her line of sight, it was the McDonalds!

"Woot! Sweet salvation! Thank god for the dollar menu!" Kagome cheered as she ran into the building. She screeched to a halt in front of the counter. She took in all the wonderful smells of the delectable food and walked up closer to place her order.

Kagome paid for her delectable greasy paradise and sat down at a nearby table. She dove into the double cheeseburger with pleasure. Taking little bites slowly, she made sure to savor the flavor.

"Again I say, thank god for Mickey D's!" Kagome cheered before taking a sip of her coke. After taking a few more gulps she set down her drink and pulled her phone out of her pocket to look at the time. Kagome figured she should probably start heading to the coffee shop.

She threw away her trash and took her coke with her. Kagome slid out the glass doors of the fast food restraint. She pounded her feet on the sidewalk as she headed to the coffee shop. Her eyes wandered as she headed there.

Her gaze found it's away to the various shop windows. There were so many beautiful and wonderful things. One something in particular caught Kagome's eye. It was magnificent looking dress.

The dress had a multitude of different greens sewn into one. The dress came in at the top to make a halter top. Yet, as soon as the dress hit mid waist it burst into delicate cascading ruffles that twirled and waved. The most prominent green was sea-foam. Kagome knew the dress would look amazing on her. If only she could afford it…

"If only…" Kagome whispered on her lips as she stared at the dress longingly. After staring at it a moment longer, Kagome realized she should probably check her watch. It was 2:15 now. Crap! She was going to be late.

Kagome dashed down the street. She avoided hitting anyone as she ran through the masses of people. Kagome failed to notice the stop-walk had change and skidded into the street. She yelped as she avoided getting hit by a moving automobile. She managed to bounce over to the other side only to run into someone.

"We really should stop meeting like this," a cool voice said. Kagome felt the person she had run into steady them on the sidewalk so they wouldn't topple over. Kagome looked up to meet the eyes of her employer. With an embarrassed blush, she stepped back from him.

"That's probably for the best," Kagome said sheepishly as she rubbed the side of her head. She watched as Mr. Taisho stifled a laugh and then let out a sigh. She thought he had a lovely laugh. It was strong, deep, and hearty. She hoped she would have the privilege of hearing him laugh again sometime.

Kagome noticed Sesshomaru had a coffee cup in his hand and it was obvious he had already gone to the coffee shop. She heard a cell-phone ring and watched as Sesshomaru pulled out a slick new phone from his pocket. He turned slightly away from her and talked to whoever it was on the other side of the phone. Apparently Sesshomaru wasn't too pleased with the conversation as he snapped his phone shut.

"I'm afraid we have to go back to the office. We were going to have to go back to the building anyway to get my car out of the parking lot, but I suppose we'll have to take a detour. I apologize for the inconvenience," Sesshomaru said with a frown. He turned to the right and started walking while motioning Kagome to follow.

"Ah well there's no reason to apologize. Technically I'm the one mooching off of you," Kagome said jokingly. Sesshomaru said nothing as he continued walking forward. Kagome bit her lip and continued to follow behind him quietly.

The silence lasted about five minutes as they made their way to Sesshomaru's office building. At one point they had passed by the dress Kagome had seen earlier. She had lingered back a moment and Sesshomaru took notice. He decided to make a note of it in the back of his head just because.

They finally stopped in front of the large office building and stepped inside through the glass doors. Sesshomaru made a small wave-like hand gesture to the woman at the front desk and headed for the elevators. Kagome slipped into the elevator after him. Once she was inside and the doors closed she began shuffling her feet awkwardly. She always felt weird doing stuff with people she barely knew.

The elevator was currently blaring smooth jazz and Kagome almost groaned. She found this music entirely nauseating. Kagome peeked over at Sesshomaru from the corner of her eye. He still had the same slightly angered face he had earlier. He caught Kagome looking at him and his gaze shifted to her. Kagome flinched and turned her head quickly.

The elevator dinged and the two stepped out of it together. Sesshomaru led Kagome down a narrow hallway and past rows of cubicles. They arrived in a small office area and Sesshomaru gestured to a small couch on the side of the room for Kagome to sit in while she waited.

Sesshomaru walked away from her and approached what looked to be his secretary. He exchanged a few curt words with her and then they walked into his office. Kagome tapped her feet on the ground. Similar music to that of the elevator was filtering around in the offices. Kagome was fairly certain if she had to work here she would go crazy. Then again she would go for boring music rather than a physco assault cat. Thinking about the cat reminded Kagome that she was actually late in feeding the creature today. It was 2:45 now.

Kagome's attention shifted back to Sesshomaru's office as she heard bits and pieces of a heated argument. For a second, she swore she had heard something crash in the other room. She hoped his poor secretary was alright. If Sesshomaru was anything like his cat, the secretary would be scarred for life. A minute the two walked out of the office and Sesshomaru continued to shout in mid-sentence.

"How will I find "one" in the few hours before the party? It's ludicrous I don't even see why I need a…" Sesshomaru growled as he rubbed his temples while trailing off at the end. His secretary tried offering him a cup off water, but the man just waved it off. That is when the secretary finally took notice of Kagome.

"Who are you? Do you have an appointment or something?" the secretary asked as she looked at the girl. Kagome shifted awkwardly again. She opened her mouth to speak, but Sesshomaru cut Kagome off to speak for her.

"She is my cat-walker. She is here with me," Sesshomaru said with a sigh as he continued to rub his temples. He was starting to have a headache. His secretary turned to look at Kagome again and something clicked.

Sesshomaru's secretary turned to her boss and looked at him expectantly. Sesshomaru stopped rubbing his temples and gazed at his secretary with a confused expression. The other room nudged her head at Kagome. Sesshomaru blinked and looked over at the other girl. Then he got it.

Glancing back at his secretary she nodded her head. It was then they both knew they had the same idea. Now how to go about getting it done was a different matter entirely. They both turned their heads to stare at Kagome.

"Um….is there something wrong?" Kagome asked uncomfortably. Why where they looking at her like that? It was kind of creeping her out a little. Sesshomaru started walking towards her and Kagome sunk deeper into the couch.

"You said you had no other classes for the day correct?' Sesshomaru inquired. His secretary seemed to hover behind him excitedly like a bee. Kagome eyed the secretary and shifted in her seat as she turned her attention back to Sesshomaru.

"Um…yes?" Kagome answered with bewilderment. The secretary smiled and clapped her hands. The older woman opened a note-book and began jotting things down. She nodded towards Sesshomaru and began to walk away back to her desk.

"Excellent. Then I will assume you are free for this evening," Sesshomaru said confidently as he grabbed his briefcase from beside the desk. He started walking towards the elevator and looked over at Kagome to follow. The girl stood still for a moment.

"Free for what?" asked Kagome curiously. What was all this about? Kagome slowly began to follow after Sesshomaru not sure of what she may or may not have just agreed to. She stepped into the elevator and Sesshomaru turned his head to look at her.

"I shall inform you in the car…"

DATEDATEDATEDATEDATEDATEDATEDATEDATEDATEDATEDATEDATE

Kagome slammed the car door shut and started heading to the front door. Thoughts were swirling in her head. She was still thinking about what Sesshomaru had just asked her. He explained the situation, but it was still weird.

"So, What do you think of my proposition Miss Higurashi?" Sesshomaru asked. He had noted her immediate reaction as he asked about it in his vehicle. She seemed stunned and slightly taken aback. He was actually surprised by her reluctance as they had talked about it more, usually women would jump at the chance. It was quite obvious that not only was she a different kind of cat-walker, but a different kind of woman entirely.

"I'm just not sure Mr. Taisho…" Kagome said as she balanced her things while opening the front door. She slipped in and was about to close the door when Sesshomaru caught it in his hand. He followed after Kagome into the house and sighed.

"What are you unsure about?" Sesshomaru questioned while setting his briefcase off to the side. He really wanted to go with this girl to the business function for several reasons. One, it was convenient. Two, he wouldn't have to attend it with some nutty person his secretary person set him up with. Three, he honestly wished to go with her.

"It's just that I already feel awkward doing things with people I barely know. Plus, it just seems so unprofessional," Kagome answered. Looking back a moment at what she said, she realized it was kind of a lame response. Sesshomaru seemed to notice this as well. He snorted.

"An unprofessional cat-walker?" Sesshomaru almost felt like laughing at that comment, but he sees he's already upset the girl. Kagome narrowed her eyes as she opened her latest, newest, and improved umbrella. She turned to the stairs and began to stomp up them.

"If you're just going to make fun of me like that than forget it!" Kagome retorted childishly. Sesshomaru shuffled his feet at the bottom of the stairs. This was not going well at all. He desperately tried to think of something that would make her agree to it. He was somewhat unsure as to why he was going through all this trouble. Something inside Sesshomaru told him why he was really doing this, but he ignored it.

"Wait! What if I double what I'm paying you now? Will you go then?" he asked. Kagome halted her ascent up the stairs. The prospect seemed so tempting. She could really use the money. She thought about all the wonderful things she could buy with that extra cash. More food…

"I have to think about it," Kagome answered as she turned her dazzling blue eyes towards him. She gave a weak smile and then turned back to continue up the stairs. She didn't look back to see or hear Sesshomaru's reaction. She just continued on her way. She was unable to see the ghost of a smile and ounce of hope showing on Sesshomaru's face.

Kagome made up the stairs and went down the hallway. She stopped in front of Princess's room and prepared herself. The cat was late in being fed. Who knew what it would do when it was half-starved? Would the satanic at try to devour her whole? Kagome gulped and readied the umbrella in her hand. With the other hand, she slowly turned the handle.

Kagome peeked into the room. Her gaze shifted across the pink décor. Satan's feline friend was nowhere in sight. Kagome came into the room and shut the door behind her. She slowly made her way across the room to where the cat food was. Kagome placed the umbrella off to the side, but in a close enough range to get it in case there was a secret assault.

She lifted the cat food bag and opened it up. Kagome poured the food carefully into the pristine cat bowl. She re-closed the bag and set it down. There was still no cat. Suspicious, very suspicious……

Kagome picked up the golden frou-frou water bowl and headed towards the connecting bathroom. She twisted the knob on the sink and filled the bowl up with water till it reached the rim. She turned the sink off and headed back into the room. There was still no cat. Kagome's eyes narrowed. She suspected an evil plot.

Placing the water bowl while trying not to spill a drop, Kagome stood back up. She paused. Something wasn't right. Then she felt it. A gasp escaped her mouth. Kagome bit her lip to keep from screaming. Her eyes shifted below her. She'd never been so scared in her life.

Princess continued to rub against Kagome's leg. She mewled and meowed. The little feline wove her way through Kagome's legs. The poor cat-walker was too paralyzed to move. This was completely out of character for the cat. Kagome was afraid this was a trick and that once she let her guard down the small demon would attack.

Kagome refused to move for fear of death. After a minute or two, Princess apparently became bored. The cat stopped rubbing her fur against the girl and hopped onto the small area where her food was served. The cat began to nibble at her food. Kagome took a moment before deciding to move again.

She quickly whipped up her umbrella. Holding it steady, she looked over at the cat again. Was this a positive new change for the cat? Was it finally deciding to be cute and cuddly like it appeared? With a leap of faith, Kagome approached the cat warily.

Kagome lifted her hand to pet Princess. She gently placed her hand on the cat as it munched away on its food. As soon as this was done, the cat stiffened. Kagome realized she made a horrible mistake. Princess began to hiss loudly. Princess reared her head back and took a snap at Kagome.

Kagome stepped backwards. Kagome gripped her umbrella tightly and made the decision that now was probably a good time to leave the room. Walking away, she watched as Princess went back to chewing down on her food again. Kagome slipped out of the door and closed it behind her.

When she looked forward she was taken aback by surprise. There on the door handle on the door opposite to Princess's room hung the gorgeous green dress she had seen earlier that day. But how on earth did it get here?

"Do you like it?" a smooth voice asked curiously. Kagome followed the sound of the voice and caught golden eyes staring back at her. She was at a loss for words. Nothing could come to mind. She focused her attention to the dress and walked over to it. She brushed it delicately with her hand. It was even more beautiful up close and so soft to the touch.

"How did you know?" Kagome asked slightly puzzled. Sesshomaru stepped over towards her and placed his hand on the little green dress as well. He gazed down at her and seemed to shift all his attention to her for just a moment before looking back at the dress.

"I noticed you looking at it earlier today. I thought it would be appropriate attire for tonight so I got it for you," Sesshomaru answered. Kagome slid her hand across the dress again. She played with the small bow on the side of it. She marveled at its simplistic beauty again. Then she realized what Sesshomaru had said.

"It's quite wonderful. However, I technically remember not exactly agreeing to go with you yet," Kagome said as she took her hand away from the dress and stepped back from it slightly. Sesshomaru removed his hand from the dress and sighed.

"I am aware of this. Yet, I was entirely hoping you would. Is taking you to this function too much to hope for?" Sesshomaru answered back with a question. Kagome tilted her head to the side as she thought of her current situation.

Here was this very attractive man wanting her to go with him to an extravagant party of sorts. Here was this delicious looking dress, which she couldn't possibly get any other way if only in her dreams. Here was the chance to get even more money than she was already getting. She looked over at Sesshomaru and the other reason dimmed in comparison. She was definitely not doing this for the money, but perhaps for something else.

"No, it isn't too much to hope for. I'll gladly go with you," Kagome said as a genuine smile came to her face. On the inside, Sesshomaru was ecstatic. It didn't really show on the outside, but it was there. He accepted Kagome's answer whole-heartedly and turned around to motion at something behind him.

"Excellent. My secretary, Sarah, will be helping you get ready for this evening," Sesshomaru said as the other woman came into view. Kagome blinked and stared up at Sesshomaru. It was as if he knew she would say yes. Sarah approached Kagome and took her hand.

"I don't normally make house calls, but tonight I'll make an exception. Consider yourself lucky Miss Higurashi!" Sarah said cheerily as she smiled widely at the other girl. Kagome smiled brighter at this. Perhaps, tonight would be better than expected.

LIGHTSMAKEUPACTIONLIGHTSMAKEUPACTIONLIGHTSMAKEUPACTION

Sarah made the final adjustments to Kagome's attire for the night. She tightened the bow holding the dress in place. Kagome grunted as the ribbon tightened, but continued to try to focus on her hair. She had wanted it to not be too fancy, so Sarah and her opted for a half-up and half-down look.

Kagome's hair was slightly held up in a semi-bun by a beautiful pink sakura clip, while the rest of her hair flowed passed her shoulders. Her make-up was very light and subtle. Only a tiny of bit of eye-liner and mascara to enhance her eyes, and a smidge of lip-gloss to make her lips shine. Kagome played with her dress as she sat in a make-shift chair beside the bathroom mirror, which had been conveniently turned into a vanity of sorts by Sarah.

"Is something wrong?" Sarah asked as she stopped tugging at the dress to look at Kagome. The other girl bit her lip and stared into the mirror. She looked very pretty, but she still felt kind of awkward. She breathed out deeply.

"It's just…I'm nervous I guess," Kagome answered truthfully. Kagome heard Sarah shuffle behind her until she was eye-level with Kagome. The older-woman clicked her tongue and seemed to think about what she was going to say before speaking to Kagome.

"Well, I suppose there is a lot to worry about. However, I wouldn't. No matter how scary Sesshomaru may seem, he's not that bad. Plus if it's any consolation, a ton of girls' would kill to be in your shoes," Sarah said hoping to alleviate some of Kagome's worries.

"I suppose that's a bit reassuring…" Kagome said. Both women laughed out loud at that comment. Some of the tension was gone. There were a few last minutes things to be done, but other than that Sarah determined that Kagome was finished.

They exited the hallway bathroom they had been occupying and went off to search for Sesshomaru. They passed by Princess's room and Sarah noticed that Kagome sped up when they did. Sarah tried not to laugh. The cat's reputation seemed all too clear now. No wonder her boss had so much trouble keeping people to take care of it.

After about ten minutes of searching upstairs, Sarah stated she would go look downstairs for him. Kagome stood up at the top of the stairs and decided to wait. She played with her dress some more. It was becoming quite addictive actually. It was fun to look at and to play with. Kagome giggled lightly to herself.

"Wow! You look pretty like a princess Miss Kagome!" a cute voice cooed. Kagome turned her head and spotted Rin standing beside her. The little girl smiled and grasped Kagome's hand. Kagome squeezed Rin's hand and smiled brightly.

"Thank-you, Rin…" Kagome said. Rin's eyes glowed with a happy gleam. A gruff sound was heard and both girls' attention turned to the person who had just arrived on the scene. Kagome's eyes widened. He looked good.

Sesshomaru stood by the stair banister in his sleek fitted tux. He was very handsome. He was wearing a green tie so that he would match Kagome's dress. A small pink flower was in his jacket pocket. Sarah most likely told him what color Kagome's hair-piece was.

"I agree with my daughter. You look very lovely tonight…Kagome," Sesshomaru said. Kagome blushed slightly and simply nodded her head. Sesshomaru stretched out an arm and gestured for Kagome to take his hand. Once she did the three of them headed down the stairs.

Rin looked happily between her father and Kagome. Sarah stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched as the trio made their descent. She had to say, it made quite a wondrous picture. She vaguely wondered if sooner or later Kagome was going to become a permanent addition.

They finally made it down the stairs and Rin broke apart from the adults. She bounded over to Sarah to say hello. The secretary returned the greeting and then bid her last farewell to her employer. Sesshomaru waved her off and took a glance at his watch.

"Sesshomaru-sama," a curt voice called. The same toad-like man Kagome had been introduced to a few days prior made his presence known. Kagome blinked. She had forgotten his name. She was fairly certain it started with a J.

"Ah Jaken. I would like it if you watched over Rin until Kagura arrives to baby-sit her," Sesshomaru said. Jaken that was it. Jaken nodded his head and proceeded to lead Rin back upstairs. Kagome watched as the little girl went away and it was then she realized she had been left alone with Sesshomaru.

The feeling of awkward began to seep back into the pit of Kagome's stomach. She noticed her hand was still clasped in Sesshomaru's and attempted to pull it back only to find that he held it tighter. Kagome said nothing as Sesshomaru started to lead them out his front door.

"I believe it is time for us to depart," Sesshomaru said calmly. Kagome let him take her to his car. He dropped her hand. Kagome took this chance to close her hands together and hang them in front of her. Sesshomaru opened her car door and waited for her to get in.

"Thank-you," Kagome said. It was the only thing she had said these past few minutes. Sesshomaru said nothing, but nodded his head. Kagome was incredibly nervous. Once she was securely in the car Sesshomaru shut the door behind her. He walked around the car and then got in.

He started up the car and the silence continued. It seemed both were unsure of what to do in this kind of situation. It stayed quiet the entire car ride to the party. Kagome twiddled her fingers and stared at the passing streetlights. She already felt weird, but the silence was killing her. They arrived at the party minutes later.

They got out of the car by the front of the building. Sesshomaru handed his keys to the parking attendant. After that he looked over at Kagome and offered his arm to her. She accepted it timidly and they made their way into the building.

As they came in all eyes turned to them. The looks on some people's face were that of utter surprise and disbelief. Kagome bit her lip. She started to question whether or no this was such a good idea. Sesshomaru detangled his arm from hers and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He leaned in his head so his mouth was closer to her ear.

"Do not worry. They most likely are completely caught off guard, because this is the very first time I've ever had a date for one of these events," Sesshomaru said almost with a laugh in his voice. His breath tickled against Kagome's ear, which made her twitch slightly.

"Well, why have a date now?" Kagome asked as she gazed into Sesshomaru's eyes. Sesshomaru let a true smile cross his face for the first time that night. Sesshomaru stood up straight again. He took Kagome's hand and they made their way further into the room.

"It's quite simple…I have you," Sesshomaru said honestly. Kagome was shocked. That wasn't what she was expecting at all. A heavy blush set in on her face as Sesshomaru led them to a table to sit down. He stopped and pulled out a chair for Kagome. She sat down in her chair as if in a daze.

She continued to ponder over Sesshomaru's answer. What did he mean exactly by that remark? Did it mean anything important? Or was it really just a comment? Kagome grounded her teeth together in thought.

The party went along slowly. Food was to be served first. Waiters would come by and ask what the guests wanted from the choices given. Kagome had decided on chicken. She was given a glass of wine, which she drank with tiny sips. She really hadn't ever drunken anything alcoholic even though she was twenty-one. She still felt a bit awkward.

Sesshomaru seemed to notice Kagome's discomfort. He desperately tried to think of something that would make her more comfortable. He thought back to earlier today. Kagome had said she felt weird around people she didn't really know. An idea came to him.

"Where do you get your numerous amounts of different umbrellas?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome blinked and turned to look at him. That was the most thing she had been ever asked out of the blue. Why on earth would he bring that up?

"Why do you want know?" Kagome asked as she took another sip of her drink. Sesshomaru was about to talk when the waiters started placing the food at their table. He waited for them to leave before talking again.

"You said that you feel awkward around people you don't know. I thought if we ask questions about one another, we would know more about each other," Sesshomaru answered. Kagome was impressed by Sesshomaru's consideration of her. She smiled.

"That's a great idea! And the umbrellas, well that my friend is the wonder of the dollar store. Cheap, efficient, it has almost everything, and best of all is that it's in my price range!" Kagome said cheerily.

QUESTIONSANSWERSQUESTIONSANWERSQUESTIONSANSWERSQUESTION

"…and that is why my friend Sango always gets me a rubber duck for my birthday," Kagome finished saying as she took a sip from her third glass of wine. Her mind was waving in and out now, but she decided to ignore it entirely.

"That is interesting. By the way, I believe it is your turn to question me," Sesshomaru said. They had been going back and forth now with questions for the past hour. Empty plates lay in front of them now. The other couples at the table would occasionally tune in to the conversation, but then pretend not to be listening. Kagome let a wicked grin come to her face.

"Alright. This has been bothering me for the longest time. Why on earth does someone like you have a cat? And the room she's in? God, I've never seen so much pink in my life," Kagome said. Sesshomaru couldn't say he was surprised. He had suspected the question would eventually come up.

"In all honesty, Princess isn't really my cat at all and I can tell you now that I did not design that room," Sesshomaru said matter-of-factly. Kagome gasped in surprise. It wasn't Sesshomaru's cat? Well, it couldn't possibly be Rin's cat. The little girl had spoken her fear of the cat as well.

"Oh my god, really? Then whose cat is it? Where did the demon cat come from?" Kagome asked in amazement. Sesshomaru felt like chuckling, but held it in. He was in the company of his co-workers. He thought it best to control himself somewhat.

"The cat belonged to my mother. She gave it to me before she died. She was dying of a terminal disease at the time, and she wanted the best for her beloved cat. She designed the room that currently is the holding place for the feline in my house," Sesshomaru said. Kagome's face fell.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your mother," Kagome said solemnly. Sesshomaru waved his hand in the air. He stood up and offered his hand to Kagome. The girl tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Do not dwell on that depressing thought, I no longer do. Let us lighten the mood again. Would you care to dance?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome let a small smile come back to her face. She placed her smaller hand into Sesshomaru's larger one, and felt as the warmth of his hand encompassed hers.

He led her to the dance floor. The last song had ended and now the couples waited patiently for the newest one to come on. Once the newest song did come on, Kagome's eyes widened in surprise and delight. Sesshomaru looked at her as her eyes began to sparkle.

"It's that one song from Enchanted!" Kagome said happily. Sesshomaru listened closely and determined that indeed, it was the song. He slowly positioned them to dance and gazed into Kagome's dazzling blue eyes.

"If that is true, then this should be a memorable dance for you Kagome," Sesshomaru said. Kagome beamed and Sesshomaru brought her in slightly closer. Kagome didn't seem to mind for she was focusing on the song.

" _You're in my arms_

_And all the world is gone_

_The music playing on_

_For only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive"_

Those lines made the song almost happy sounding. It seemed perfect for the current moment taking place. Kagome laid her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder. The alcohol was making her slightly woozy, but she absolutely loved this song.

" _A life goes by_

_Romantic dreams must die_

_So I bid mine goodbye_

_And never knew_

_So close was waiting_

_Waiting here with you_

_And now, forever, I know_

_All that I want is to hold you_

_So close"_

The rest of the lyrics made the song so much sadder. It was a very beautiful, but it brought such a harsh reality. Sesshomaru leaned his head so that it was gently on top of Kagome's. The song made him think about how everything had led up to this current situation.

" _So close to reaching_

_That famous happy and_

_Almost believing_

_This one's not pretend_

_Now you're beside me_

_And look how far we've come_

_So far_

_We are_

_So close..._

_Oh, how could I face the faceless days_

_If I should lose you now?"_

Kagome smiled. Sesshomaru was so warm. To think, something like this would most likely never happen again for Kagome. She may never find her prince charming like she dreamed about, but this was pretty darn close she supposed. Sesshomaru held her tighter. Kagome shifted and moved her head from under Sesshomaru's. He moved his head to look into her eyes. They both stared at each other for a moment. Then they slowly started leaning toward one another.

" _We're so close to reaching_

_That famous happy ending_

_Almost believing_

_This one's not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming_

_Though we know we are_

_So close_

_So close, and still_

_So far..."_

The song ended. Sesshomaru's face and Kagome's were inches apart now. Gold gazed into blue. It was almost too perfect. Maybe, it was too perfect. Sesshomaru's cell-phone rang from inside his jacket pocket. The couple broke apart. Kagome blushed and walked over to their table. Sesshomaru almost growled. He fished his cell-phone from out his pocket and flipped it open.

Kagome sat at their table and twiddled the fabric of her dress between her fingers. She couldn't believe she almost kissed him. Actually, she could believe it. The problem was that it didn't happen. She sighed. What was she thinking?

Kagome attempted to take another sip of drink, but was stopped by a seemingly worried Sesshomaru. Kagome set her drink down and studied him closely. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked. Sesshomaru pulled on her arm and started to hurriedly lead her out of the building. Something definitely was not right. Sesshomaru told the parking attendant to fetch his car before turning back to Kagome.

"Rin was the one that called. She said she was scared," Sesshomaru said with an ounce of worry in his voice. Kagome was worried by this news as well. She knew she never liked that Kagura girl.

Once they got the vehicle, Sesshomaru rushed passed the lights almost as fast as Inuyasha did. Kagome wasn't as frightened this time, because she knew this speeding was actually for a good cause. The arrived at the house in minutes.

As they pulled up to the front, they could already see the tiny silhouette of Rin, whom was sitting on the porch. Sesshomaru bolted out of the car and rushed over to his little girl. Kagome stepped out of the car and followed after him quickly.

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around Rin. Kagome was absolutely appalled to find tears streaking down the little girl's face. Sesshomaru slowly detached himself from Rin and ran into the house. The same murderous look Kagome had seen yesterday was once again on his face.

Kagome went over to Rin and lifted her up into her arms. The little girl clung tightly to Kagome. Her tears soaked into Kagome's dress. Kagome made her way into the house to find Sesshomaru. She heard commotion upstairs and went to go see what was up.

She slowly made her way up the stairs while still attempting to carry Rin. Once she was at the top, she was certain she smelled smoke. Not the fiery kind, but the tar scented cancer-inducing killer smoke. Kagome wrinkled her nose. She heard a booming television in a nearby room.

She nudged the door open with her foot. She was in shock at what faced her. It was Kagura and surprisingly that girl Yuma sitting in the room. They were surrounded by a multitude of beer cans and each was taking a drag from a cigarette.

"Hey brat! Did you get me more…" Kagura's words died on her tongue as she spotted Kagome. The other girl stood their in disbelief as she lifted Rin higher so she was easier to carry. She felt someone behind her. She shifted her eyes and was met with a somewhat seething Sesshomaru.

"Insolence! What is the meaning of this?" Sesshomaru roared at Kagura and then turned to speak more softly towards Kagome, "Take Rin to her room please,"

Kagome nodded and obliged. She headed out of that room as fast as she could. Half-way down the hall she could still hear Sesshomaru's furious yells. Kagome stroked Rin's hair as she looked for the girl's room. She finally found a door with the girl's name neatly printed on it.

Kagome slowly walked into the cozy looking room. She walked over to the neatly made bed and gently laid Rin in it. The girl had fallen asleep in Kagome's arms. Kagome placed a blanket over Rin and slowly made her way out the door. Once she closed it she turned back to the hall. She was startled to find Sesshomaru there.

"Oh god…you scared me," Kagome said in a low whisper so she wouldn't wake up Rin. Sesshomaru walked passed her and creaked the door open. He peered in. After a moment he seemed appeased and closed the door.

"How was she?" Sesshomaru asked in the same low whisper Kagome used. Kagome took Sesshomaru's hand and led him down the hall some. She stopped and looked up at him.

"She cried herself to sleep in my arms, but I think she'll be alright. What did you do to Kagura and her…friend?" Kagome asked. Sesshomaru's face contorted into one of rage and he almost seemed to hiss.

"I will say this. She most definitely will not be working for me ever again. She's long gone. By the way, due to the current events taking place I'm afraid I won't be able to take you home. I am unwilling to leave Rin by herself," Sesshomaru said.

"That's alright. I understand completely," Kagome said. Sesshomaru seemed to think about something. He debated it in his head a while before deciding it would be alright to say. He focused on Kagome again.

"If you would like. You can use one of the guest rooms for the night. I can fetch you some clothes to sleep. I feel that is the best solution for now," Sesshomaru suggested. Kagome thought about it and agreed it was the best choice.

"That sounds good to me…"


	7. Saturday

The shadowed figure once again ran into a wall. She cursed silently to herself. It was currently three in the morning and Kagome at this time was searching for the hallway bathroom. She wasn't having much luck, however.

Just when Kagome was about to give up all hope of finding the bathroom her hand fell to a door handle. A smile graced her lips. This had to be it. Kagome slowly creaked the door open. She shuffled around a minute before flicking the light on. Her eyes widened in horror.

She recognized immediately the pink décor of the room. Kagome froze in her spot in terror. Where was the beast? Kagome scanned the room with her eyes. She spotted a black and white ball curled up in the corner. Princess…

Kagome figured if she was absolutely silent, she might be able to escape unscathed. Princess decided to douse those hopes when her vulture-like eyes caught Kagome in mid-move. The poor girl shrieked as the cat charged at her.

Kagome fell on her bottom as Princess darted past her. A moment later Kagome realized the cat once again made it through the door and out of the room once again. Kagome let out a few foul words flow out of her mouth. She stood up quickly and ran down the hall after the cat.

Her chase was cut short as Kagome crashed into something. She heard a groan from underneath her. Kagome sat up and gazed as the poor soul she had run into. A blush found its way to her face as she studied the person she had run into more closely.

Sesshomaru sat up rubbing his head. He had run out of his room when he heard the scream. He looked over at Kagome and then paused in rubbing his head. He looked her up and down and then turned away.

It seemed both noticed the same thing. Sesshomaru was currently only clad in boxers. Kagome was wearing the t-shirt and boxers had let her borrow. Secretly on the inside, both agreed they liked what the other was wearing.

"Are you alright?" Sesshomaru finally asked as he turned his head slightly to look at Kagome. Kagome continued to blush and she twisted her hair between her fingers. She was slightly embarrassed by the obviously attractive man sitting beside her.

"Well I was looking for the hallway bathroom and then…THE CAT!" Kagome cried. Sesshomaru was startled by Kagome's sudden cry. He watched as she scrambled to her feet to stand up.

"The cat?" Sesshomaru questioned as he began to stand up himself. Kagome nodded her head as she looked in both directions of the hallway.

"She got out of her room again. I need to get her!" Kagome said with distress as she picked a random hallway to go down to begin her search for the ever elusive and deadly feline.

"I'll help you look for Princess," Sesshomaru said simply. Kagome stopped in her tracks. She gazed back at Sesshomaru in complete surprise. Sesshomaru slowly walked up to her.

"But it's my fault. Plus, wasn't the rule if she out again that I was going to be fired?" Kagome said quietly. Sesshomaru shook his head as he laid a hand on Kagome's shoulder. They stared into each other's eyes.

"I'm not going to fire you for an honest mistake. Also, together I think we'll be able to find her faster if we work as a team," Sesshomaru said softly. A smile found its way to Kagome's face again.

"You're right. That seems like a great idea. Why don't we split up? I'll go down this hallway and you'll go down the other," Kagome said with a cheerier voice. Sesshomaru gave a curt nod. Then they were off.

Kagome skittered down one way into the dark. Sesshomaru walked confidently in the other direction. All was silent for a while. That is until Kagome alerted the household again of the cat's presence with a scream. Sesshomaru sprinted to where Kagome was. Then they set off after the cat together.

Then something akin to Scooby-Doo happened. Sesshomaru, Kagome, and Princess weaved throughout the house. The cat would dart and jump out of the way before either could catch her. At some point Sesshomaru acquired a broom. Kagome wasn't entirely sure when that happened, but she was thankful. The broom proved to be helpful.

Princess could be nudged into a certain direction with it. The broom was even better than the umbrella in Kagome's mind. They led the cat back to her room. Kagome opened the door to Princess's room and Sesshomaru got swiped at as he shoved the cat inside. Kagome shut the door quickly once Princess was securely inside.

"We did it!" Kagome said happily as she slid down the wall. A light laugh escaped her mouth. She was now completely exhausted. She panted trying to catch her breath again. The laughter wasn't helping.

"Damn," came the short curse from Sesshomaru. Kagome looked up at him worriedly. Sesshomaru seemed to be studying his arm in the dim light. Kagome stood up and walked over to him. She finally caught sight of the cat scratches on Sesshomaru's arm as she got closer.

"Ouch… that stings. We need to get those or you could get cat scratch fever," Kagome said with concern.

"Let's go to the kitchen then," Sesshomaru said as he started walking to the stairwell still holding onto his arm. Kagome followed after him.

A few minutes later the two found themselves sitting in the glow of the single kitchen light that was turned on. Kagome continued to hold a warm rag to Sesshomaru's scratched up arm. They sat in silence. Kagome lifted the damp rag to look at Sesshomaru's arm before pressing it back down.

"I'll leave it on a few more minutes," Kagome said softly. She was a bit tired now. Finding the clock hanging on the kitchen wall she discovered that it was about four in the morning now.

"Do you need to use the bathroom?" Sesshomaru asked finally remembering what Kagome had told to him earlier. Kagome shook her head as she continued to press down the damp rag a bit harder.

"No, not really. I was just thirsty and thought I'd get some water," Kagome answered back and then let out a small yawn.

"I'll go fetch you a cup of water then," Sesshomaru offered as he prepared to stand up. Kagome gripped his arm and pulled him back to stop him.

"Please don't. I don't want to be a burden…" Kagome trailed off as she got a gander at Sesshomaru's bare chest once again. The blush that had disappeared came back to her face.

She looked up to meet his gaze. Gold stared into blue as they stood their silently. The dim kitchen light cloaked them in shadows as they leaned into each other. They stopped a centimeter apart. Each could feel the breath of the other on their lips.

"Daddy…" came a light voice from the kitchen door. Sesshomaru and Kagome quickly broke apart. Sesshomaru sighed as he pushed back the kitchen chair he was sitting in and walked over to kneel beside Rin.

"What is it that you need honey?" Sesshomaru asked softly as he stroked Rin's hair. Rin leaned into her father's gentle touch and yawned.

"Why was it so noisy? I woke up," Rin said rubbing her eye. Sesshomaru continued to run his fingers through the child's hair as he spoke to her quietly.

"Don't worry. Everything is fine. The cat just got out," Sesshomaru said. The sleepy eyed girl seemed to become wide awake at the mention of the escaped cat.

"No, it's okay! We put her back in her room," Kagome said reassuringly to alleviate the Rin's fears as she noticed the look on the younger girl's face. Kagome's words seemed to pacify Rin and the girl returned back to her sleepy eyed state.

"Right. Well it's very late, I think it best if we all went back upstairs to go to sleep," Sesshomaru suggested. Both Rin and Kagome agreed as they shared a yawn. The three made their way back upstairs.

Kagome headed back to the guest room. Thoughts swirled in her head. She gazed back one last time as she watched Sesshomaru leading Rin to her room. He noticed her looking and glanced her way. Kagome turned back around and stepped into her room quickly.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Breakfast sat steaming in front of them on the kitchen table. It was about seven in the morning now. Sesshomaru was wearing a full business suit ready for work as he took a sip of his black coffee. Rin was still in her PJs. For Kagome, she had to her clothes from yesterday until she could go home.

It was awkwardly quiet as they ate their breakfast. It reminded Kagome of the first time they had all eaten a meal together. It could be assumed that the silence came from being tired due the events that occurred earlier that morning, however that wasn't the case.

Currently only certain events kept floating through Kagome's mind. She had almost kissed Sesshomaru, twice! Both attempted kisses happened with mere hours between them. Kagome wasn't sure what to think of it at this point.

At the current time it would seem both of the adults in the room were trying their best to ignore the other while secretly pondering about them at the same time. Sesshomaru was just as caught up in his thoughts about the kisses that almost happened. Kagome and Sesshomaru would take peeks at the other before quickly turning away. This lasted a few minutes until Sesshomaru finally broke the silence.

"I still need to find a suitable baby-sitter for Rin. Would you mind watching her for the day?" Sesshomaru asked as he gave Kagome his full attention. Kagome swallowed the piece of toast she had been chewing on.

"Um well… I'm not sure. I have classes at four," Kagome answered honestly. Sesshomaru simply nodded his head before pushing his chair back and standing up. Kagome blinked in confusion.

"Well then. Follow me please," Sesshomaru requested as he opened the backdoor and stepped outside. Kagome was still completely bewildered, but she followed Sesshomaru outside of the house anyway.

"Where exactly are we going?" Kagome asked as Sesshomaru led her through a part of the house grounds she had never been on before. However, instead of answering Kagome's question, Sesshomaru asked his own.

"Do you have a working driver's license? Can you drive a vehicle?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome raised a brow at the question. She was almost insulted by it.

"Yes I can drive. Why do you ask?" Kagome asked. Sesshomaru waved her to come faster. Kagome sped up her pace and stopped beside Sesshomaru. The two now stood in front of an outside-garage of sorts.

"I have a vehicle you can use. That way you can leave when you need to and just drop off Rin at my office. I planned on having her drive this when she got older. It used to be mine when I was younger," Sesshomaru explained as he lifted the garage door open. Kagome gasped.

"Oh my god! My mother wouldn't even torture me by making me drive this! It's ancient!" Kagome said before laughing loudly. In front of her was a run-down slightly rusting lime green 1985 Chevrolet truck. Sesshomaru scoffed at Kagome's laughing.

"It's not that bad is it? And what do you mean ancient? That would imply that I'm old as well," Sesshomaru said back to Kagome with fake anger. Kagome laughed lightly some more.

"No no, I don't mean it like that. You're like in your early thirties right?" Kagome said waving her hand with a grin on her face. Sesshomaru grew silent as he gave Kagome a strange look.

"I'm twenty-three…" he said seriously. Kagome stopped laughing immediately. A guilty and embarrassed look flew across her face. Her mouth gaped open.

"Oh no…I mean. I just thought… You have your house and your daughter. I shouldn't have assumed…" Kagome said covering her mouth in embarrassment.

"It's alright. But do I really look that old?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome shook her head while still covering her mouth. A minute later she removed her hands.

"No, you don't look old at all. You look young and attractive actually," Kagome blurted out before realizing what she said. A blush found its way to her face. Sesshomaru just grinned. The look on Kagome's face was priceless. He found it irresistible.

"Well then, now that we've gotten that all straightened out. Will this vehicle be alright for you?" Sesshomaru asked. A blush still marring her features, Kagome nodded her head.

Kagome and Sesshomaru headed back into the house. Rin was just finished stuffing the last of her cereal in her mouth. She smiled up happily at her father and Kagome. Sesshomaru gave the girl a hug good-bye before picking up his suitcase and bidding the girls' farewell.

Rin waved enthusiastically as Sesshomaru pulled off in his car. She jumped up and down as if to put on a show for the car that disappeared into the distance. Rin dropped her arms and sighed once she could no longer see her father. She turned around and looked up with adorable eyes at Kagome. The older girl almost melted from the cuteness.

"What would you like to do?" Kagome asked sweetly. Rin stood on one leg as she made circles with her other foot as she thought. The younger girl's features brightened as an idea came to her. She smiled up at Kagome.

"Let's play with my Barbies'!" Rin cheered happily. Kagome smiled back at Rin as the younger girl squealed in delight while clapping her hands together. A minute later Rin was leading Kagome up the stairs and sprinted to her room.

Once they were inside the little girl's room, Rin was digging into a box labeled dolls. One by one Rin plucked Barbies out of the box. Kagome walked over and crouched beside Rin. She picked up a random Barbie out of the pile that was accumulating on the floor.

Kagome was shocked by the state of the doll. The poor thing was currently contorted into an odd shape. Not only that, but the doll seemed to be missing most of its hair. There was a large chunk of it on one side.

"Why my goodness isn't she um…lovely?" Kagome said as she continued to study the doll. Rin stopped her digging to look at the doll as well. She smiled at Kagome and pointed at the doll.

"Yes! That's Mary Sue. I gave her a hair-cut," Rin said happily.

"I can see that…" Kagome said trying not to giggle. Rin stood up and walked over to a decent sized doll house near the large box of dolls. She motioned Kagome to follow her.

Kagome shuffled over to Rin and relaxed into a comfortable sitting position again. Then Kagome listened to Rin as she explained the "Rules of the House", which Rin talked very seriously about.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sarah noticed her boss was acting particularly odd today. Every time she walked into the office he seemed far off. He was being distracted by something, which was weird because he was normally never distracted by anything. Finally Sarah couldn't take it anymore. The curiosity was eating away at her.

"So…how was the business function yesterday?" Sarah prodded as she poured Sesshomaru his coffee. Sesshomaru looked up startled as if this was the first time he had even noticed his secretary. He cleared his throat as he made a move for his coffee. He brushed off the fact he had been caught off guard.

"It was tolerable," Sesshomaru said coolly before taking a sip of his coffee. Sarah nodded her head with an "mm-hm" and tapped her chin as she balanced the coffee pot in her other hand.

"How did Kagome like it?" Sarah asked. Sesshomaru nearly choked on his coffee after the question was asked. He set down his coffee cup with a 'clank' as he took time to try to breathe again. He took a moment to recollect himself.

"Why is her opinion important to you?" Sesshomaru tried to say calmly. Sarah held back the grin that wanted to spread on her face. She stopped tapping her chin and placed the coffee pot on the table. Then she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well she was you first date since ever. I'm just curious as to how she felt," Sarah prodded. Sesshomaru mumbled under his breath about something. He took another sip of his coffee. He was more cautious when doing so this time as he studied his secretary.

"I believe she enjoyed the evening," Sesshomaru answered with a dead-pan look. He tried his best not to give off any emotion. Sarah tried not to laugh at her boss's poor attempt of trying to look disinterested.

"I see…" Sarah said as she propped one arm up on her hip. A minute later voices and footsteps could be heard outside Sesshomaru's office. Sarah sighed and went to go do her job as she picked up the coffee pot off the desk.

Sesshomaru watched with a tinge of relief as his secretary walked out of the room. The relief was short lived as he heard the distinct coo of his daughter. If his daughter was here than that meant 'she' was here. With all his will power, Sesshomaru stood up out of his chair. He prepared to walk into the next room.

As soon as Sesshomaru entered the room it went silent. This only increased his nervousness, which he doubted the existence of. Rin cracked a smile and rushed to cling onto her father's leg. Sarah broke the silence as she turned towards Kagome.

"Weren't you wearing that same outfit yesterday?" Sarah asked curiously as she studied Kagome's attire for the day. Kagome sighed and gazed down at her clothes in distaste.

"Yeah, I didn't quite make it home yesterday, which reminds me. I have to go! Bye!" Kagome said before running out of the office and to the elevators like a bat out of hell without further explanation. Sarah was astonished with what Kagome revealed with that one statement.

Sarah turned to Sesshomaru with a grin on her face. Sesshomaru raised a brow at his Secretary's actions until he finally caught on to her line of thought. He was horrified once he realized what she was getting at.

"Nothing happened between us…" Sesshomaru stuttered out. Rin oblivious to what the conversation just took a turn to; leaned more into Sesshomaru. Sarah laughed a little out loud.

"Right…"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kagome's head lolled to the side as she sat in her class. The focus was currently not on her college professor wandering about in the front of the lecture hall. No, her mind was going over an entirely different matter inside her cranium. Kagome sighed as she laid her head on her desk.

She was into older men. She couldn't believe she was into older men. Sure, he was only a couple of years old. Sure, he was as hot as hell. He was an older guy. Kagome couldn't believe she was into older men.

She was freaking out on the inside. Thoughts swirled in her about her employer. She couldn't believe she was crushing on the man with the demon cat, but by god was he pretty. Kagome sighed again before letting out a groan.

The moment her class ended, Kagome belted out of her classroom. She yanked her cell-phone out of her bag and flipped it open. Kagome scrolled through her numbers before finding the one she wanted. She clicked it and held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello… Sango! Code 11! Meet at the usual place in five minutes!" Kagome said quickly into the phone. She shut her cell and stuffed it back down into her pocket. Then she was off again.

Kagome was sprinting down the street now. She realized she hadn't ever waited for a reply back from Sango. It didn't really matter now though. Kagome could already spot Sango standing outside the café. Sango caught sight of Kagome and waved her over.

Kagome ran the rest of the way like a home-stretch. She stopped in front of Sango and tried to catch her breath. Kagome's breathing was hard and rough. She decided she should really try to work-out more. Kagome wiped the sweat off her brow, which revealed the new Hello Kitty band-aids on her hands.

"Nice band-aids…" Sango said jokingly. Kagome put in a weak sarcastic laugh as she continued to try to breathe properly. After a moment Kagome motioned Sango to walk into the café.

"Yes after being assaulted by one cat, I thought it best to heal my wounds with another more passive," Kagome said. Sango laughed and the two sat at a back table in the corner. Once Sango stopped laughing she looked at Kagome seriously.

"Alright, down to business. This must be a serious code 11, AKA hot attractive single guy, for you to jump me with a call without any fore-warning," Sango said. Kagome nodded her head before letting out a long sigh.

"Yeah. It's just—I don't know what to do Sango. What should I do?" Kagome asked placing her face in her hands and leaned her elbows on the table.

"Wow. You really seem worked up about this. What's this guy like? More importantly, who is he?" Sango asked leaning closer on the table in anticipation. It'd been quite a long time since Kagome had ever been really interested in a guy; and that relationship ended in tatters. Since then the two friends had invented code 11 and the two girls would always discuss it over before Kagome jumped into a relationship.

"Well. Um. You See. I think I… It's the guy with the demon cat!" Kagome finally spouted out. Sango was in complete shock. Her mouth hung open in complete disbelief.

"Are you saying you honestly find the owner of that thing a code 11? I thought you said he was almost as bad as his cat?" Sango questioned. Kagome was still hunched over with face in hands. She spread out her fingers and peeked out to see the puzzled look on her friend's face.

"I know I said that, but it's different. Once I spent some time with him, he turned out to be really quite charming," Kagome said honestly.

"Wait? Spent time with him? Kagome Higurashi what have you been up to?" Sango asked. Kagome bit her lip and finally lifted her head back up. Kagome removed her hands from her face and proceeded to tell Sango all of what happened that week.

She made sure to elaborate every detail of every ordeal, mostly. Sango merely sat there and took it all in. She was surprised by what she was hearing Kagome tell her. Kagome was interrupted in the middle of describing the last time she had seen Sesshomaru.

"What are you two up to?" questioned a familiar voice. Sango and Kagome turned their heads to look at Miroku who had somehow materialized by their table. Sango and him shared a brief kiss before he stood back up again and waited for an answer to his question.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome asked instead. Miroku shrugged his shoulders. He leaned against Sango and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Sango let a small smile appear on her face.

"I was curious as to why you sent a panicked phone-call that dragged away my girlfriend from me. Sango pretty much hung up her cell and dashed away from me," Miroku answered Kagome's question as he rested his head on top of Sango's.

"Kagome has the hots for the cat guy!" Sango yelled happily.

"Sango!" Kagome angrily yelled back.

"You have the hots for my brother?" said a new voice. The two girls's turned their heads and then caught sight of Inuyasha. He had followed Miroku in, but stood off to the side. Neither of the girls had even noticed him until just then.

Kagome was petrified. Her eyes were the size of saucer plates. Her mouth hung open like a barn-yard door. She almost felt like crying. She most likely would kill Sango later. Why did Inuyasha have to find out?

"Brother?" Miroku and Sango said at the same time. They bother turned their heads to look at Kagome expectantly. Kagome snapped her mouth shut quickly and nodded her head.

Before any more questions could be thrown across the room, Kagome's cell-phone rang. Kagome blinked and gazed down at her pocket. She slipped her phone out. Once she caught sight of the caller-id she almost fainted. She reluctantly opened her phone and held it to her ear.

"Um hello…Mr. Taisho. Oh um okay. Sesshomaru then. Yes? Oh. Um… I can't. Sorry. I have a previous engagement. Yeah. Alright. Bye," Kagome said and then hung up. The other occupants of the room stared at her.

"Wasn't that him? Oh my god! What did he say?" Sango asked. The other two guys were curious as well, especially Inuyasha by this point.

"He asked me to come to dinner, but I said no," Kagome said. Sango clicked her tongue and banged her hands on the table.

"You said no? Why?" Sango asked. Kagome was already embarrassed beyond all reason by this point. She could feel Inuyasha's eyes boring into her the hardest. She cringed in her seat.

"I panicked. I got too nervous. I feel bad, but it's okay. I'm sure the dinner didn't matter all that much to him anyway. It was just to thank me for watching Rin…" Kagome said.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After Kagome left Sarah had not stopped pestering Sesshomaru. He was getting severely irritated. Once again Sarah waltzed into the room with a smug smile as she filled Sesshomaru's coffee mug. Then she would wink and let out a quiet laugh before leaving again. Finally Sesshomaru couldn't take it anymore.

"Woman I will say again, nothing of importance has occurred. Now I would most appreciate if you leave my presence for the next three hours or I shall make it a permanent departure," Sesshomaru said stonily.

Sarah stopped laughing and frowned. She stuck out her tongue childishly at Sesshomaru before prancing out of the room with coffee pot in hand. Sesshomaru sighed before looking over at Rin.

The little girl was happily doodling on some printer paper that Sarah had set out for her. Finding the crayons was a bit more of a task, but eventually they settled on using colored pens. A happy smile was spread out on Rin's face. She noticed her father watching and looked up at him.

"Hi Daddy! Want to see the picture I'm drawing?" Rin asked sweetly. Sesshomaru reviewed the stack of work that had already been neglected, and promptly decided he didn't care anymore.

"Yes. I would love to see your picture," Sesshomaru said softly. Rin clambered onto her feet and scampered over to her father. She thrust the crudely drawn flower into Sesshomaru's face. Sesshomaru pushed Rin's hand back a bit to get a better look at the picture.

"I made it for Kagome," Rin said with a twinkle in her eye. Sesshomaru froze with the picture still lying in his hand. It was that damn woman again. She was forever going to be plaguing his mind.

He held nothing against Kagome. In fact he found her company quite enjoyable. It was just that she had been on his mind all day. He needed a solution to his problem. A random idea came to his head.

He figured if he was actually with her than he would stop thinking about her. He realized his logic was slightly flawed, but he didn't give a damn. Now he only needed an excuse or reason for her to be in his company. Taking a glance at Rin a plan was already forming in his head.

Rin had noticed a while ago that her father was distracted and had gone back to her little drawing center. Sesshomaru had his phone out and called the number Kagome had given him the day before. He waited with anticipation. He heard her pick it up on the other side.

"Hello Kagome. You may call me Sesshomaru. I wanted to ask you a question. Would you like to come with Rin and I to dinner as thanks for watching her? Oh. I see. Yes, well then another time I suppose. Good-bye," Sesshomaru spoke into the phone before hanging up.

She had rejected his invitation to dinner. He wasn't sure why, but he was severely disappointed. If he was really open about his emotions he might admit to being a tad-bit sad. However, he would never admit to being slightly blue.

A few hours went by after that and it was time to go home. Sesshomaru loaded Rin into the car and buckled her in. She was happily licking a lolli-pop Sarah had given to her. Sesshomaru got into the car and started the engine.

As they drove along in the car, Hannah Montana blasting through the stereo system, Sesshomaru spotted the exit that led to Kagome's apartment complex. As a last minute decision, Sesshomaru took the exit. He had no idea why, but he felt compelled to.

He parked in the visitor's parking lot and sat there a moment. Rin glanced at the window and asked where they were. Sesshomaru gave her no answer, but told her he would be right back. Once he made sure Rin was securely in the car, he started walking to the apartment complex. Sesshomaru had no idea what he was doing. He didn't have a reason to be here. Sesshomaru was confused. He just wanted to see her. He just wanted to see Kagome.

Sesshomaru was coming up to Kagome's floor now. What was he going to say when he saw her? How would she react to seeing him without prior notice? Sesshomaru stopped on the corner which led to Kagome's hallway. He heard voices. He recognized both of them.

Sesshomaru peered around the corner and found he was unsure whether to be surprised or to be angry. Kagome seemed to be chattering away with his half-brother as it was a normal everyday thing. Was Inuyasha her previous engagement?

"So you promise not to tell him anything?" Kagome pleaded to Inuyasha with wide puppy eyes. Sesshomaru wondered what they were talking about.

"Yeah, I promise I won't tell him anything," Inuyasha said. A second later he was encased in Kagome's arms as she hugged him. Inuyasha awkwardly attempted to return the hug as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" Kagome said happily into Inuyasha's chest as she continued to hug him. Sesshomaru couldn't stand to watch anymore of this. He went off in an angry huff. He left before the truth was revealed.

"Yeah. Yeah. Let go. I promise I won't tell Sesshomaru you have the hots for him,"


End file.
